Vintage Photos of Canada Day in Vancouver

On the western coast of the country, Vancouver, which is 19 years younger than Canada itself, has always known how to celebrate our nation’s birthday in style. Known as Dominion Day until 1982, Canada Day has traditionally been a time for family fun, parades, picnics, and afternoons at the beach. Not much has changed — we may have more fireworks and beer gardens now — but here’s a quick glimpse back at Canada Day in Vancouver over the years, thanks to the City of Vancouver Archives collections:

Vintage Photos of Canada Day in Vancouver

The first celebration of Dominion Day in BC was in 1878:

1878 Colonial Hotel. Archives# Bu P738.

Procession on Cordova Street:

1890 by Bailey and Neelands. Archives# CVA 1376-375.20.

Military parade on Granville in 1900:

1900. Archives# Mil P30.

Parade at Hastings & Granville:

1900. Archives# Str P391.1.

Yacht races in English Bay:

1907. Archives# Bo P81.2.

A Dominion Day at the beach at English Bay:

1911 by Stuart Thomson. Archives# Be P101.

Opening day for the Georgia Harris Viaducts on July 1st:

1915 by WJ Moore. Archives# CVA 677-535.

Outside Woodward’s on Dominion Day with Old Glory and the Union Jack:

1924. Hastings & Abbott. Archives# CVA 809-24.

King Neptune and the “Jantzen Girls” pulling a Royal Life Saving float in a Dominion Day parade:

1955 by Stuart Thomson. Archives# Port P258.1.