One of my prized possessions is an original 1876 Map of Westminster that depicts the Lower Mainland a decade before Vancouver even became a city. Unfortunately for me it’s on loan from my father but I enjoy inspecting it every now and then to follow the lines of rivers and creeks that have disappeared, boundaries […]

The St. Regis Hotel has stood on the corner of Dunsmuir and Seymour for the last 100 years and to mark the milestone they would like to hear from visitors, guests, and anyone who has spent time at the hotel in the last century. 1915 – VPL #20021 Dominion Photo Co. The St. Regis Hotel […]

Vancouver History Tidbits: Knight Street Bridge

Tomorrow is the 101st anniversary of the first professional hockey game ever played in Vancouver. It took place on January 5th, 1912 at Denman Arena, which stood near the corner of Georgia and Denman in downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Millionaires defeated the New Westminster Royal 8 to 3. 1913 – Denman Arena at 1805 Georgia […]

False Creek today flows in and out of English Bay, ending with the waterfront walkway at Science World. In the early days, through grasslands and a network of creeks and streams, False Creek soaked all the way back to where Clark Drive runs now. False Creek Flats 1898 – Vancouver City and Park Tourist Map. […]

Port Coquitlam is kicking off a series of celebrations that will take place throughout the year in honor of their 100th birthday in March. Join the community on Friday, January 4, 2013 at the Port Coquitlam Rec Complex (2150 Wilson Ave) from 5:00pm to 9:30pm to see what’s in store for the rest of the […]

Today is the City of Vancouver Archives building will celebrate its 39th anniversary. Opening on December 29th, 1973 in at 1150 Chestnut Street near Vanier Park, they were named after the man who started the archives when Vancouver was a new city — Major J.S. Matthews. Photo credit: City of Vancouver Archives on Flickr Matthews […]

Nestled between the residential towers of the West End you can spot a few heritage houses that have endured for decades. Some converted to apartments or businesses, others preserved in time like Roedde House. One that sticks out, with no other heritage houses remaining in its immediate vicinity, is Abbott House at 720 Jervis Street […]

After publishing almost 100 posts with collections of photos from the Vancouver Archives and Vancouver Public Library, I have taken note of some important and prolific photographers from Vancouver’s earlier days. One name that comes up often is Artray Studio“>Artray Studios or Artray Limited. Today’s collection of photos from the Vancouver Library Archives features the […]

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 […]