It’s no secret that I was born and raised in Surrey, and when people ask where I went to school or which neighbourhood I was in I do not hesitate to say Whalley – despite the judgement that may follow. You see, Surrey has a bad reputation in the eyes of some and once you […]

On this day in Vancouver history, June 10, 1972, the Girl in a Wetsuit statue was revealed just off the north shore of Stanley Park. She was commissioned by Douglas Brown, a local lawyer, who approached sculptor Elek Imredy in 1968. He wanted the statute to be based on Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid that […]

It’s no secret that hockey fever is alive and well in Vancouver… and it’s June. While it’s an unfamiliar feeling, it’s something this city’s been waiting for since Cyclone Taylor won the cup at the Denman Arena back in 1915. While browsing the Vancouver Archives’ blog, Authenticity, I noticed their latest post features hockey history […]

This morning on Twitter I said, “Do I wear my #Canucks jersey all day today?” and promptly received dozens of replies about how that’s pretty much a no-brainer. Throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs (and even since the season began) you could feel the Canucks pride in this city. Flags replicated like bunnies on the tops […]

UPDATE 2022: The Gassy Jack statue has been toppled during the Women’s Memorial March. UPDATE 2016: This is an important read: “Indigenous activists say the story of Gassy Jack is missing sordid details.” Captain John “Gassy Jack” Deighton is a local legend and namesake for the area of downtown Vancouver known as Gastown. The Gassy […]

The North Vancouver Museum and Archives are hosting the “Find a Place in History” contest where residents and visitors can submit photos of heritage sites online for the chance to win prizes. Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr To enter the contest, take a photo of a place in North Vancouver with historical significance and […]

As a part of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s ‘Places that Matter‘ committee, I get my fix of local history at every meeting. I was recently looking through some of the sites already nominated for designation and found the Angel of Victory. Installed in 1921, it is one of the city’s most prominent statues, located along […]

BC Parks is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year while it is also the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada in 2011. Although Banff National Park is 125 years old, Parks Canada was officially established in 1911 and was the first national park service in the world. In BC, we have 7 National Parks. Glacier National […]

The National Flag of Canada Day is coming up February 15th and while it’s an occasion that could slip past many, there’s a very good reason to pay attention this year. Canada Place, who usually celebrates “Flag Day” with a ceremony along and themed birthday cake, is hosting the Canadian Flag Photo Contest. Photo credit: […]

Last week Granville Island Works hosted a media tour that took us through the Granville Island Brewery, to New-Small & Sterling Studio Glass, on an Aquabus tour, and up to The Sandbar. It was great to once again experience another side of Granville Island (outside of the market and theatres). I didn’t get to try […]