Historically, the month of September has had its share of milestones and events in Vancouver. Everything from the disastrous “Great Fire” in New Westminster to the opening of Rogers Arena in 1995, the formation of The Vancouver Board of Trade in 1887, and the dedication of the steam-clock in Gastown on September 24, 1977. Today’s collection of images from the Vancouver Public Library and City of Vancouver Archives is a roundup of historic scenes from around the region throughout many Septembers past.
September 1898
On September 10th British Columbia’s first capital and the oldest city in western Canada, New Westminster, was devastated by fire.
1898: Columbia Street. Archives# Out P365. Photographer: Thompson.
Archives# Out P1041.2 & Out P363. Photographer: Thompson.
September 1901
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall visit Vancouver.
1901: The Duke and Duchess in a carriage pulled by eight horses. Archives# CVA 677-983.
Photographer: Philip Timms.
1901: Crowd gathered at Hastings and Cambie for the Duke and Duchess. Archives# CVA 677-979. Photographer: Philip Timms.
September 1909
There was a line-up down Granville to purchase lots in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood from the CPR. In the photo below, the CPR station is on the site of our current Waterfront Station.
1909: Archives# CVA 677-526. Photographer: Philip T. Timms.
September 1912
The Duke and Duchess of Connaught visited Vancouver. It was tradition to build an arch to welcome distinguished guests to town and the photo below is of a Lumbermen’s Arch at Pender and Hamilton. Side note: This was before a permanent Lumberman’s Arch was erected in Stanley Park.
1912: Vancouver City Mounted Police. Archives# CVA 677-502. Photographer: W.J. Eggett.
September 1925
The Harding Memorial was unveiled in Stanley Park. He had a special place in locals’ hearts as he was the first sitting President to come to Vancouver (in 1923).
1925: Copyright photo by the Gowen-Sutton Company Limited. Archives# CVA 677-280.
Registration is now open for the ClearlyContacts.ca Grouse Grind Mountain Run, now in its 23rd year, happening on Sunday, September 15th with two run categories.
Considered to be the annual showcase event of the Grouse Grind season, the ClearlyContacts.ca Grouse Grind Challenge draws hundreds of participants each year and has become the ultimate fitness bragging right for outdoor enthusiasts on the west coast. From elite mountain runners to leisurely hikers, the event is inclusive of every age and fitness level with an emphasis on personal goal setting and achievement.
Grouse Grind Mountain Run
The first run category is the Grouse Grind Mountain Run for elite athletes who can race the clock and do the Grouse Grind in 45 minutes or less.
Qualifying times: 45 minutes (men) and 55 minutes (women). As a special benefit for Grouse’s longest-serving Grinders, participants who are aged 65 or older do not require a specific qualifying time to participate in the Grouse Grind Mountain Run.
The cash purse up for grabs is a shared total of $5,000. Top overall finishers (1st, 2nd and 3rd placed overall male and female finishers) will be awarded $1400, $700, $400 respectively. Top male and female finishers (1st, 2nd and 3rd) in each age category will receive medals.
Grouse Grind Mountain Challenge
The second run option is the Grouse Grind Mountain Challenge for casual Grouse Grinders. There’s no need to race the clock with the latter as the idea is to simply complete the whole run, raising funds for Grind for Kids as a team or solo participant.
Course Details
- Length: 3 kilometres (1.86 miles)
- Elevation gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet)
- Base: 274 metres (900 feet) above sea level
- Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet)
- Total stairs: 2,830
- Fastest-ever official time: 23:48held by Sebastian Salas, five-time reigning Grouse Grind Mountain Run champion (2008-12)
- Average time: The ClearlyContacts.ca Grouse Grind Challenge takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete, with two hours recommended for novice hikers.
- Participants: Hikers range in age from children to seniors with an equal male/female split.
All racers won’t want to miss the ClearlyContacts.ca Grouse Grind Challenge after-party at the top. $5 of each registration will go to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Contest
To get the word out about the event I have an Annual Local’s Pass (year-round membership) for Grouse Mountain to give away. The Annual Local’s Pass provides great year-round value with access to our Skyride, a world of adventure and amazing benefits. All our passes now feature a dollar value pre-loading capability. Don’t let forgetting cash get between you and your post-Grind snack again.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post naming your favourite thing to do at Grouse Mountain – or what you would like to do with your pass should you win (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, September 12, 2013. Follow Grouse Mountain on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates.
Note! This contest is open to locals only as they are the only ones who can use valid Annual Local’s Passes.
Update The winner is @pool88!
Everyone’s always looking for something to do for a family outing, activity with friends, or a date night and I love providing information that can help locals and visitors plan their leisure time in the city. While I have been doing a monthly event list for years, I thought I would try something new and offer a specific short-list of things to do over the weekends. I’ll try this for a few Fridays and see how it takes off but you can still always reference the full monthly event list at any time.
Things To Do in Vancouver This Weekend
Saturday, September 7, 2013
West End Fest
Wesbrook Village Festival
Fleetwood Family Festival
Fresh St Market Grilled Cheese Competition
Langley Cruise-In
Walking Tour: Grandview, West of Commercial
Salsa Cruise
Portobello West Fall Market
Stanley Park’s Secrets Historical Walking Tour
Luxury & Supercar Weekend
Vancouver Chinatown Night Market
Trout Lake Farmers Market
West End Farmers Market
Kerrisdale Village Farmers Market
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
MexicoFest
Vancouver Fringe Festival
Sunday, September 8, 2013
VPL’s Stanley Park 125 History Exhibition
Vancouver Canadians Championship Playoff Game
Coho Festival in West Vancouver
Mountain View Cemetery Bike Tour
Big Brother Canada Casting Call at Metrotown
Bugs Galore at Richmond Nature Park
The n Games at Elm Park
The Awesome Race
Rhythm of Life: The Run and Walk for Everyone
Free All Ages Evaporators Concert
Feast of Fields
Polish Culture Festival in Lynn Valley
Portobello West Fall Market
Luxury & Supercar Weekend
Vancouver Chinatown Night Market (final of season)
Kitsilano Farmers Market
Mt Pleasant Farmers Market
MexicoFest
Vancouver Fringe Festival
One event not on the list is the opening of The Disney Store at the newly-renovated Guildford Town Centre in Surrey. On Saturday, September 7, 2013 there will be a grand opening ceremony at 10:00am where the first 500 guests will receive a free gift. From 12:00pm until 4:00pm there will be a meet and greet with Disney characters at Centre Court. You can also still enter to win a $50 Guildford Town Centre gift card in my contest before 3:00pm today.
September Events in Metro Vancouver
Be sure to bookmark and share the full monthly event list for reference and feel free to send in your event for listing at no charge.
The Vancouver Canadians won their THIRD STRAIGHT championship! Way to go Vancouver!
The Vancouver Canadians are headed to the Northwest League Championship for the third year in a row after defeating the Everett Aquasox 11-4 on Wednesday.
The C’s have won the Northwest League Championship title for the last two years, every year since they became the Short Season A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The first game of the final series of the summer will be played in Boise, Idaho tonight. The second game of the playoff with Boise will take place on Sunday, September 8th at 1:05pm in Vancouver at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.
If a third game is needed to crown this year’s champ, it will take place Monday in Vancouver at 7:05pm. Tickets are on sale now by calling (604) 872-5232, by visiting the Nat Bailey Stadium Box Office (4601 Ontario St) or online.
Let’s make sure to pack the ‘Nat on Sunday and cheer on our team! Tonight’s game in Boise can be heard on Team1410 Sports Radio.
Update
On Friday night the C’s lost 0-5 to Boise in Idaho but they bounced back in Vancouver on Sunday to win 4-2 and force a third and final game. Monday night at Nat Bailey Stadium the Vancouver Canadians won their THIRD STRAIGHT championship. Congratulations to the C’s!!
Our fair city is preparing for another incredible year of the Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”) beginning on September 26th. I am very proud to once again be an official VIFF media partner, and a media partner for a hand-picked Canadian film that will screen during the festival (more details on that will follow over the coming weeks). Tickets are on sale today as we lead up to the catalogue launch and the hottest movie — and gala — season in town. Here is a quick VIFF 2013 Preview to get you started:
New VIFF Venues
With the movie theatre landscape changing in Vancouver over the last year there are a few new venue options available for 2013. VIFF now has three distinctive neighbourhoods: Granville and Davie, Commercial and Broadway, Gastown/Crosstown (with the latter offering 3,600 comfortable seats on 6 screens within seven blocks of each other).
The Centre in Vancouver
for the Performing Arts
Exceptionally grand and well-provided 1800 seat auditorium with a HUGE screen. International guests will be very impressed.
Cineplex Odeon International Village
(3 screens)
VIFF used ‘Tinseltown’ previously and is delighted to be able to return to this popular and well-equipped Chinatown multiplex under its new management.
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Vancouver Playhouse
Gracious and Spacious. We’re installing the latest in digital cinema technology.
Rio Theatre
VIFF returns to Commercial Drive at this popular licensed music and movie venue.
SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
Not just a new venue, a whole new partnership with SFU Woodwards Cultural Programs.
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VIFF’s traditional non-profit homes include the Vancity Theatre, VIFF’s own state-of-the-art facility, showing festival films (and serving beer and wine) year-round, and The Cinematheque, VIFF’s treasured neighbour and colleague.
Film Series
Canadian Images
Canadian Images Opener: All the Wrong Reasons on September 27th and September 28th.
Dragons and Tigers
Master director Jia Zhangke’s most popular film yet, A Touch of Sin is a Cannes prize-winning drama shows China’s gangsters, massage parlours, vicious bosses and desperate workers drawn into a whirlwind of violence, passion and vengeance. Winner, Best Screenplay, Cannes 2013.
Information on other series such as Altered States, Arts and Letters, Cinema of Our Time, International Shorts, Non-Fiction Features, Special Presentations, and Spotlight on France will be released in the coming weeks.
Must See BC
Preview. Promote. Vote! As part of the new BC Spotlight program, VIFF 2013 is thrilled to present a dozen feature films from our own creative backyard. The Must See BC campaign invites audiences to preview the lineup, promote BC filmmakers and vote on the must see festival screenings. And there are rewards. Follow the tag #MustSeeBC and @VIFFest on Twitter for more information.
Gala Screenings
Opening Gala
The Canadian premiere of Nebraska, with Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, and Stacy Keach, will open VIFF this year at The Centre for Performing Arts.
BC Spotlight Gala
The BC Spotlight Gala will pay tribute to the late Babz Chula through the screening of Ben Ratner’s Down River — a beautiful example of local storytelling.
Closing Gala
The Face of Love with Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams, Amy Brenneman, and Jess Weixler will be screened on October 11th to close out VIFF this year.
Tickets on Sale Now
The online box office is officially open today for ticket packages and passes. The in-person box office will be open on September 14th. The VIFF Mini Guide is available online as PDF download or around town and the full program catalogue will be on sale September 19th.
Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest festival information.
