The Canadian Flag in Vancouver – New Design Hoisted February 15, 1965 at Vancouver City Hall. A Roundup of Flag Photos in Vancouver

If you are familiar with Lions Gate Bridge history then you’ll know that its construction was made possible by the Guinness family (yes, that Guinness) but did you know that its iconic string of lights was nicknamed Gracie’s Necklace? Photo credit: Shannon Leigh Photography on Flickr The Guinness family, of Irish beer fame, was convinced […]

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Heritage Hall on several occasions for conferences, speaking engagements, and to meet with the Mount Pleasant BIA. This handsome building on the corner of Main and 15th has had many lives, and continues to be an elegant venue for special events, fashion shows, and weddings making it today’s Vancouver […]

The PNE Forum building at Hastings Park holds its share of history, from hockey and lacrosse, to war-time injustices, roller derby and Nirvana. 1931: Archives# CVA 99-4015. Photographer: Stuart Thomson. Vancouver Exhibition Forum This 45,000 gross square foot building was constructed on the Vancouver Exhibition grounds in 1931. 1931: Construction of the Forum. Archives# CVA […]

One hundred years ago, our fair city was 28 years old and already survived a Great Fire, erected the tallest building in the British Empire, built a courthouse that stands today as the city’s art gallery, had a thriving interurban transit system and a population well over 100,000 (a fifth of what it is today). […]

The first tourist bus service began running in Stanley Park in 1908 but it wasn’t until the 1920s that a public bus service “challenged the supremacy of the electric streetcar”1 in Vancouver. 1940s: Grandview Hwy & the Bus Stop Coffee Shop. Archives# CVA 1184-3267. Photographer: Jack Lindsay. On March 19th, 1923 under BC Electric Railway’s […]

Anna Ethel Sprott (1879-1961) has a legacy in Vancouver that most might associate with a radio jingle: “Sprott-Shaw Community College, since 1903!”. However, Anna Ethel Sprott did more than marry the school‘s founder, R.J. Sprott, in 1918 and take on the role of president after his passing in 1943. She was a solid member of […]

Empire Stadium Ski Jump

December in Vancouver means holiday shopping at the market, ice skating at Robson Square, light displays and city views from the ski hills. Here’s a quick glimpse of this festive month throughout the last century thanks to Chuck Davis’ History of Metropolitan Vancouver: 1936: City Hall prior to opening. Leonard Frank Photos. Archives# City P19.1 […]

This Sunday Santa Clause will arrive to welcome the holiday season to downtown Vancouver and to help collect donations for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. I browsed the Vancouver Public Library and City of Vancouver Archives to see if I could spot Santa around town throughout the years. As it turns out, he used to […]