Vancouver, with several new and old architectural gems, used to have a handful of stunning buildings that have since been demolished, much to the chagrin of citizens at the time. The Second Hotel Vancouver, the Georgia Medical-Dental Building, and the old Birks Building come to mind. The latter, which was located at Granville and Georgia until it was demolished to make way for the Scotia Tower in the 1970s, is the focus of today’s photo roundup.

Birks Building

June, 1946. Birks Building on Georgia and Granville. Photographer: Don Coltman. Archives# CVA 586-4399.

2014: Google Maps.

Built between 1912 and 1913, across the street from the site of the original and second Hotel Vancouver, the Birks Building was “an 11-storey Edwardian masterpiece with an elegant terra cotta facade and a graceful curved corner,” according to the Vancouver Sun. “The corner of Georgia and Granville was rounded glass windows all the way up. It was quite spectacular. That’s where the Birks clock was for years and years. It was a familiar meeting place: ‘Meet you at the Birks clock, Georgia and Granville.’”

Construction of Birks Building GIF

September 1912 to March 1913. Vancouver Archives# M-14-30 to M-14-51.

“Inside, sparkling jewelry, silver and fine china attracted the most demanding, and wealthy, clientele,” notes Canadian Encyclopedia.

1922: Looking south on Granville, Birks Building on the left. Archives# CVA 371-825.

1939: Birks Building on the left, followed by the Second Hotel Vancouver and the Third (current) Hotel Vancouver. Leonard Frank Photo. Archives# CVA 586-4615.

1951: Granville and Georgia. Archives# CVA 772-7.

1961: Hudson’s Bay Building, Birks Building, Vancouver Block Building. Archives# 2011-068.01.

The Birks building was torn down in 1974 but not without furious opposition from the general public, which was shocked that one of Vancouver’s signature buildings was being demolished. According to local historian and author Michael Kluckner, on March 24th, 1974 at 2:00pm there was a mock funeral for the building that marched down Georgia Street. The last wall came down in January, 1975.

The Changing Vancouver blog calls it “the saddest loss of a heritage building in the city.”

1981: Birks Building at Granville and Georgia. Archives# CVA 779-E02.17.

Today, you can find Birks at 698 West Hastings Street, in the old Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building. The Birks Clock is parked outside on the corner, just a few blocks down from its original location on Granville Street.

Lynn Canyon Park in North Vancouver opened in 1912 and has been a popular playground for locals ever since. Spanning 617 acres, it features hiking trails — from easy loops for the family to connections to the North Shore’s extensive Baden-Powell Trail — a cafe and ecology centre, the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, forest trails and waterfall views. This beautiful park, with emerald waters and ancient trees, is today’s 604 Corners photo feature:

10 Wondrous Images of Lynn Canyon

Photo credit: alanflwang on Flickr

 

Photo credit: sharkhats on Flickr

Photo credit: locanatalie on Flickr

Photo credit: sworldguy on Flickr

Photo credit: kittykat_4 on Flickr

Photo credit: chanw on Flickr

Photo credit: jkarpala on Flickr

Photo credit: alanflwang on Flickr

#604Corners

• 12 Photos of Delta
• 12 Photos of Steveston
• Photos of Langley

• 10 Photos of Burnaby
• 12 Photos of Maple Ridge
• 12 Photos of Squamish
• 12 Photos of Port Moody
• 10 Photos of Lynn Canyon
• 12 Photos of New Westminster
• 10 Photos of Porteau Cove
• 10 Photos of Burnaby
• 10 Photos of Coquitlam

The permit for a cat cafe in Vancouver has been approved and will open this fall in International Village Mall at 88 West Pender Street. Last year the proposed venture, started by Vancouver resident Michelle Furbacher, received over $30,000 in an online crowdfunding campaign. [Global BC]

Cat Cafe in Vancouver

Via Catfe on Facebook

While it’s not “BYOC” (Bring Your Own Cat) the cats in the cafe, that will allow people to interact while enjoying a relaxed atmosphere, will be provided by the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association and all will be available for adoption.

Tom’s Cat Cafe in Seoul, Korea. Photo credit: feline_dacat on Flickr

The cafe will be located in the southwest corner of the mall, on the second floor, and renovations will take place throughout the summer to maximize the space to ensure enjoyment for both humans and felines.

Follow Catfe online for more information about how the space and concept will take shape in Vancouver.

Update Officially opening December 14, 2015!

Since 2008 the Surrey Fusion Festival has packed Holland Park on a sizzling summer weekend with dozens of cultural pavilions, dancers, entertainers, live music, and delectable food options all with no cost of admission. Named “Best Festival” at the annual Special Event Magazine Gala Awards in Nashville in 2014, this free family event celebrates the very best of our region’s multicultural heritage and legacy and it returns Saturday, July 18th and Sunday, July 19th, 2015.

Photos by John Bollwitt for Miss604

Surrey Fusion Festival

Shop in Nepal, have dinner in Colombia, and dessert in Jamaica. Tie a sari in India, watch Polish theatre, and learn a thing or two at the Celebrity Cooking Stage with David Jorge, winner MasterChef Canada. There are 46 countries represented with cultural pavilions, and you just know the food is going to be amazing!

Buy tickets to buy food at the cultural pavilions from the ticket booths on site. The pavilion operators will not be accepting cash. Tickets are $1 each and items at the pavilions range between 2 and 8 tickets.

On the performance stages catch Chin Injeti, Jazzy B featuring Miss Kaur, Van Damsel, Kuba Oms, La Familia, Supernatural – A Santana Experience, Blackberry Wood, Luv Randhawa, Destineak, the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band, Hua Xia Multiculture Society, Fraser Valley Dancing Troupe, Nahualli Folklore Society, and much more.

Photos by John Bollwitt for Miss604

The Surrey Fusion Festival will be open from 11:00am to 10:00pm on both July 18th and 19th at Holland Park (SW Corner of King George Boulevard & Old Yale Road in Surrey). Admission is FREE.

For the latest updates, follow @Surrey_Events on Twitter or “Like” the Surrey Fusion Festival Facebook Page. Follow the #SurreyFusion tag to join in the conversation.

This post has been contributed by Michael Murray, Communications Volunteer with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”). I have been following SPES since I moved into the West End a decade ago and I have been a member for three years. I wanted to offer the team an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I have created “SPES Saturday” where they contribute and share stories with my audience once a month.

Summer Camp in Stanley Park

Blue skies and soaring temperatures can mean only one thing: summer has returned to the Lower Mainland and parents everywhere are wrestling with the age old question of what to do with their children for the summer holidays. With the expansion of its summer Day Camp program, the Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) may have the answer you’ve been looking for.

Recent Studies have shown the many benefits of connecting children to nature – from lowering stress levels to improving concentration and increasing physical fitness. If your child is in need of a nature fix, SPES is here to help.

SPES day camper investigates sap sucker holes. (Photo by Don Enright)

This year SPES is introducing its Feathered Friends camp running from July 27-31. This is an excellent opportunity for children ages 7-9 to learn more about the many varieties of birds that call Stanley Park home. The Park is home to four nesting pairs of bald eagles and an expansive great blue heron colony; it is also a nursery for songbirds, owls, and many other bird species. Campers will learn how to identify eggs, build a nest box and properly use binoculars. “These new camps are a great way to explore parts of the Park that very few people get to see,” says Celina Starnes, SPES Public Education and Outreach Manager.

Exploring the beach at Lumberman’s Arch. (Photo by Brian Grover)

If you prefer to get your hands dirty, then the Secret Life of Plants is an excellent chance to explore some of the many varieties of flora found in the Park. Campers will “meet a tree”, make all natural tea and play seed tag. Other activities include a visit to the rose garden and a picnic in the forest. The camp runs from August 17-21 and is filling up quickly.

SPES has a wide array of other summer day camp programs sure to suit the interests of even the most discerning of nature lovers. Water Worlds of Stanley Park explores the beaches, creeks and wetlands and all the various plants and animals that call these watery ecosystems home. Another favourite is the Stanley Park Survivor camp teaching children how to camp responsibly, leaving a minimal footprint on the environment. These camps run July 20-24 and Aug 4-7 respectively. Use the promo code WATWOR to receive 15% off your registration fee.

Campers birdwatch at Beaver Lake. (Photo by Anthony Ho)

All camps run 8:30-4:30 rain or shine, and after care is available for an additional $20 per week. Please check our website for more information and enjoy your summer in the Park!