Sometimes when we think we’re just getting to know the ins and outs of our 128-year old city we learn something new. From the funny and fascinating to historical fact, here is a random group of 11 Vancouver History Tidbits: Although she’s often mistaken for one, the Girl in Wetsuit statue in the water along […]

Stanley Park is Vancouver’s favourite outdoor recreation destination in the heart of the city. With over 8 million annual visitors, this National Historic Site has been ranked among the top city parks in the world. We enjoy its Seawall, forest trails, attractions, beaches, rose garden, and how it provides us with a splash of nature […]

Vancouver History Tidbits: Knight Street Bridge

If you’ve lived in Vancouver long enough there are a few things that become a part of your everyday routine. At noon the O! Canada horns will sound at Canada Place, at 9:00pm the Nine O’Clock Gun will fire, and at around 5:30pm tens of thousands of crows will retreat to Burnaby from Vancouver. Photo […]

I love stepping under the canopy of Stanley Park‘s forest trails, detouring from the concrete paths of the Sea Wall and surrounding thoroughfares. A few years ago I profiled the origins of several Stanley Park Trail Names including Merilees, Rawlings, Tatlow, Thompson, and Tisdall. Tourism Vancouver recently launched their ultimate guide to Stanley Park (useful […]

They 99th Grey Cup Championship is coming to Vancouver at the end of this week with a parade, festival, and final game in which our BC Lions are participating. The Lions had a bumpy start to their season at Empire Field but moved into their renovated home at BC Place and stormed up the ranks […]

The Chinatown Festival this weekend will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of Vancouver’s Chinatown. Given that the City of Vancouver is only 124, it’s important to get to know this historic community. 500 block of Carrall near Pender. 1900s. Archives item# CVA 677-580 Background and history: “Vancouver’s Chinatown is a community with a long history. […]

The Seawall is not only an icon of our city, stretching its arms around Stanley Park and the downtown core, but it’s a regular hang-out for locals and visitors alike. Starting today, there will be a detour at Sunset Beach while they do some reconstruction on some older portions of the retainer. Making sure that […]

The Gastown Business Improvement Association founded the Gastown Blog in the summer of 2009 to breathe some new life into this historic community. With daily features, history lessons and business profiles, it’s a one-stop source for Gastown information. Over the last few weeks the Gastown Blog launched an initiative to put QR codes on old […]

There are names you see around town yet rarely place them or their historical significance. From Abbott to Tatlow or Shaughnessy, Malkin is right up there. W.H. Malkin was a a major food wholesaler (Malkin’s Wholesale Grocers was at 57 Water Street) who became the Mayor of Vancouver 1929-1932. He slipped into the Mayor’s office […]