The Vancouver Maritime Museum was built around the RCMP vessel the St. Roch, a National Historic Site in Canada, in 1959. The building’s shape, reflecting the boats that surround it in the nearby marina and waters of the Salish Sea, tell of what treasures can be found within and make it a fitting subject for today’s Vancouver Icons photo feature:
Along with the the St. Roch, an historic arctic exploration vessel used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the museum also has extensive galleries of model ships, including a particularly fine bone model of the French warship Vengeur du Peuple which was built around 1800 by French prisoners of war, a Children’s Maritime Discovery Centre, a recreation of the fo’c’sle (forecastle) of Vancouver’s ship Discovery, an extensive collection of maritime art, and a large library and archives.
Outdoor displays include the NASA undersea research vessel Ben Franklin and the boiler of the SS Beaver – the first steamship in the Pacific Northwest; the museum also has a small heritage harbour.
A great little “tourist in your hometown” trip is taking a False Creek Ferry to the Vancouver Maritime Museum stop, exploring the attraction, then hopping back on the ferry and heading over to Granville Island or one of its other False Creek stops for more adventures.
Follow the Vancouver Maritime Museum on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Previous Vancouver Icons posts: Flack Block, The Drop, Prospect Point Lighthouse, Engagement, Ovaltine Cafe, The English Bay Slide, Freezing Water #7, Cleveland Dam, Heritage Hall, School of Theology Building at UBC, Gate to the Northwest Passage, St Paul’s Hospital, Capilano Lake, Stawamus Chief, Nine O’Clock Gun, Malkin Bowl, Search, Vancouver Rowing Club, Echoes, Point Atkinson Lighthouse, English Bay Inukshuk, Hollow Tree, Hotel Europe, Lions Gate Bridge Lions, LightShed, Granville Bridge, 217.5 Arc x 13′, Canoe Bridge, Vancouver Block, Bloedel Conservatory, Centennial Rocket, Canada Place, Old Courthouse/Vancouver Art Gallery, Dominion Building, Science World, Gastown Steam Clock, SFU Burnaby, Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.
The City of Vancouver Archives has digitized over 8,000 images from the Pacific National Exhibition (“PNE”) thanks to funding from the British Columbia History Digitization Program. These images are easy to view, re-use, and share. Additionally, they have digitized another 874 images under copyright which can be viewed via the Archives.
1971: Women on the Sky Glider chair lift. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-6891.
The Best Old PNE Photos 1914-1980
PNE photos are very popular as they capture summers of years past in Vancouver, family time, and childhood memories. The sights, the rides, the smells (either good from the concession or less than savoury from the barns), the shopping, the shows and many good times.
Here is just a sampling of the City of Vancouver Archives‘ efforts and hard work they put into sharing these images with us:
1940: Loopo plane ride in midway carnival. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-0798.
1952: Children on the coaster. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-1794.
1936: Salt and Pepper ride. Archives# AM640-S1-: CVA 260-506.
1948: Amusement rides. Archives #AM281-S8-: CVA 180-1517.
1955: Ferris wheels. Archives# CVA 180-3880.
1927: Women in bathing suits posing with a prize bull. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-0296.
1940: B.C. Telephone Co. exhibit on how to use the dial telephone. Archives #AM281-S8-: CVA 180-0876.
(Left) 1940: Acrobatic performance in midway carnival sideshow. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-0794. (Right) 1952: Clown with ducks. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-1776.
1959: Miss PNE and a clown. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-2026.
1960s: Archives# AM1435-: CVA 1435-217.
1961: PNE rides at night. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-3874.
![Oddball oasis : [camel with lion-shaped fiberglass water fountain on P.N.E. grounds]](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8578/15814925169_c4984319c8_z.jpg)
1965: Oddball oasis : Camel with lion-shaped fiberglass water fountain on P.N.E. grounds. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-6041.
1963: PNE crowds near the BC Building. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-6629.
1964: PNE Prize Home. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-3945.
1969: Phyllis Diller with Buzz Aldrin mannequin. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-4190.
1965. Married on the Happyland ferris wheel. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-3876.2.
1969: Archives# AM1551-S2-: 2010-006.180.
1969: Archives# AM1551-S2-: 2010-006.189.
1972: Main entrance gates. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-6902.
1971: Billingsgate Seafood Bar concession. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-6808
1970: Opening day parade. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-4294.12.
1970: Sky Glider chair lift on PNE grounds. Archives# CVA 180-4292.06.
1970s: View of the PNE. Archives# 2010-006.235.
1974: Archives# AM1551-S2-: 2010-006.237.
1977: Archives# AM1551-S2-: 2010-006.145.
1977 View from SkyRide. Archives# 2010-006.149.
1975: PNE crowds, East Vancouver houses in the background. Archives# AM281-S8-: CVA 180-7106.
1977: The Dog’s Ear souvenirs. Archives# CVA 180-7417.
(Left) 1979: Archives# AM1551-S2-: 2010-006.125. (Right) Archives# AM1551-S2-: 2010-006.126.
1980: Archives# AM1551-S2-: 2010-006.133.
1971: Crowd watching All-Terrain Vehicles Show, with Sky Glider chair lift overhead. Archives# CVA 180-6879.
Follow the City of Vancouver Archives on Twitter and Facebook for more vintage photos and collections, news and events.
Related: History of the Wooden Coaster at the PNE, Challenger Relief Map of BC, Archive Photos of Amusement Park Rides.
Dine Out Vancouver returns January 16 to February 1, 2015 with more than 70 food-themed events, 25 hotels offering special room rates and packages, a record-setting 277 restaurants dishing up prix fixe menus at $18, $28 and $38 price points. A big part of Dine Out Vancouver over the years has been its events and nothing gets Vancouverites quite as excited as food trucks and unique street eats. Richard Wolak of Vancouver Foodster is famous for his neighbourhood dining events and he’s stepped up to present a multi-date series celebrating everyone’s favourite meal, brunch.
Dine Out Vancouver Brunch Crawls
“Brunch is popular in our city because it gives people a chance to catchup with friends over food, which is a widely popular activity for most foodies,” Richard told me over email. “People lead busy working lives during the week, since most of the foodie oriented restaurants are often busy during the weeknights, the weekend has become the time people can make it an outing and be casual.”
Gastown Brunch Crawl
Saturday, January 17, 2015 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Kitsilano Brunch Crawl
Sunday, January 18, 2015 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Main Street Brunch Crawl
Saturday, January 24, 2015 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Downtown Vancouver Brunch Crawl
Sunday, January 25, 2015 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
West End Brunch Crawl
Saturday, January 31, 2015 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Commercial Drive Brunch Crawl
Sunday, February 1, 2015 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Richard says each neighbourhood crawl will be different due to the makeup of each area. “For example in the Gastown Brunch Crawl on January 17th you’ll find a French and Spanish focus with menu items such as Croquetta de Bacalao (salt cod), burnt orange, sherry sauce, fennel salad at Salida 7 and Cassoulet at Jules Bistro.
On the Kitsilano Brunch Crawl January 18th you will find a Vietnamese and Italian focus with Novo Breakfast pizza – Fontina, fior di latte, Aleppo pepper, red onions, smoked pancetta, sous vide quail egg, Iberian salumi, chives at Novo Pizzeria and Peanut Macarons with Peanut butter cream, almond, toasted peanut at Linh Cafe — just to name a few.”
Tickets are available online through Dine Out Vancouver for $40* (general admission) and $60** (for Club Amuse-Bouche).
For the latest information follow Dine Out Vancouver on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, along with the tag #dovf.
* Tax, gratuities and ticketing fees not included. ** Club Amuse-bouche tickets include priority check-in at 9:45am and a VIP Gift Bag. Tax, gratuities and ticketing fees not included.
Get away for one night of magic on stage combined with stay at an award-winning boutique hotel in the heart of Yaletown! Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the the smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Vancouver in February and I’ve partnered with the show and the world renown OPUS Hotel to offer you the chance to win a fabulous date night in the city.
Broadway Across Canada presents Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of over 35 million people worldwide. This classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including “Be Our Guest” and the beloved title song.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast features the Academy Award®-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs composed by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. The book is written by Linda Woolverton. Based on the 1991 Academy Award®-winning animated feature film and celebrating 20 years since its Broadway premiere in 1994, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has become an international sensation that has been seen by over 35 million people worldwide in 22 countries, and has been translated into 9 different languages.
Broadway Across Canada presents Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from February 3rd until February 8th, 2015. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster or by phone 1-855-985-5000.
OPUS Hotel in Yaletown
Uniquely stylish and always fresh, OPUS Vancouver is showcased by vibrant design, sophisticated style, and intuitive service bringing contemporary innovation to life. Recognized in the 2014 Forbes Travel Guide as Vancouver’s only four-star boutique hotel, OPUS remains a leader in redefining the boutique hotel experience, located in the heart of Vancouver’s see-and-be-seen neighbourhood, Yaletown.
Located in OPUS Vancouver is the award-winning Northern Italian restaurant, La Pentola and the recently revamped OPUS Bar: an effortlessly cool and chic cocktail destination re-imagined by acclaimed Vancouver interior designer Robert Bailey in collaboration with design consultant Craig Stanghetta. Echoing his colourful revamp of OPUS Hotel’s rooms, Bailey has created a space full of personality and warmth: hip coffee hang-out by day, complete with cozy fireplace and serpentine style royal blue banquettes, OPUS Bar transforms into a sexy and sophisticated space at night.
From January 16th through February 1st, OPUS Hotel is offering a Dine and Stay package as a part of Dine Out Vancouver, including overnight accommodation in a Standard King guest room, three-course Dine Out Vancouver meal for two at La Pentola, and valet parking for one vehicle, from $270.
Win a Beauty and the Beast Date Night
I have a pair of tickets to give away to opening night of Beauty and the Beast at the QE Theatre as well as a one night stay at the OPUS Hotel in Yaletown. Catch a show and stay overnight downtown in style. It’s a perfect date night combo just ahead of Valentine’s Day. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment naming a song from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, January 23, 2015. The winner will receive 2 tickets for opening night of Beauty and the Beast on February 3rd as well as a one night stay the at OPUS, valid only on February 3rd.
Follow Broadway Across Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shows coming to Vancouver in 2015.
Follow the OPUS Vancouver on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their packages, dining options, and more.
Theatre tickets and the hotel stay are for February 3, 2015 and cannot be exchanged for other dates. Offer cannot be exchange for cash value. If the selected winner cannot attend on February 3, 2015 a new winner will be drawn.
Update The winner is Christy!
The Vancouver Maritime Museum is hosting a special event for families to meet a popular character who lives in a pineapple under the sea. SpongeBob SquarePants will be in Vancouver for the first time ever on Saturday, January 17th to promote the new 3D movie, “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Sponge Out of Water”, which hits theatres February 6th.
From Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies comes The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Sponge Out of Water an all-new 3D adventure that’s as wild and funny as its name. For the first time, SpongeBob SquarePants, the world’s favourite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet. Produced by Paul Tibbitt and Mary Parent. Based on the series “SpongeBob SquarePants” created by Stephen Hillenburg. Story by Stephen Hillenburg & Paul Tibbitt, screenplay by Glenn Berger & Jonathan Aibel and Paul Tibbitt and directed by Paul Tibbitt.
SpongeBob SquarePants at the Vancouver Maritime Museum
I know parents and kids alike who absolutely adore SpongeBob so this is bound to be a popular event — and a great time to visit the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Families will have the opportunity to meet the new Superhero SpongeBob and take photos with the famous character. Mini movie posters will also be available, while quantities last.
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum (1905 Ogden Avenue)
When: Saturday, January 17, 2015 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Admission: Regular admission rates apply
The Vancouver Maritime Museum is a not-for-profit museum and gallery that celebrates the profound significance of the oceans and waterways of the Pacific and Arctic, through the preservation and growth of its extraordinary collection, and as a centre for dialogue, research, and experience. Current exhibits include the St Roch National Historic Site, Where Land and Water Meet, Creature Comforts, and Western Waters.
Follow the Vancouver Maritime Museum on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
