Built in 1905, the English Bay Pier helped form our city’s beachfront. The wooden structure jutted out into the water, near where the Sylvia Hotel (built in 1912) stands today, and was a popular hangout on sunny swimming days and during regattas.
The English Bay Pier
1905 – Archives item# CVA 677-227. Photographer: Philip Timms.
1919 – Copyright Canada 1917 by F. Gowen. Archives item#: Be P113.
It seemed like a great idea and Vancouverites lined the beaches, piled on the slide that was once at the end of the structure, leapt into the crisp salty waters below for years, competed in swimming races from Jericho, and watched dazzling fireworks from its deck in the 1920’s. However after about a decade, it appeared to have lost its luster.
In my search for references and information I found a Letter to the Editor of the The Vancouver Sun, February 19, 1936 wherein the author expresses little fondness for the pier:
“I was exceedingly surprised to note in a recent issue that the West End Chamber of Commerce have expressed a desire to retain the English Bay Pier. It looks like a cheap industrial wharf landing, unsightly eye-sore, ruining the whole aspect of English Bay and the fine view of West Vancouver and the mountains. I should have thought every West End resident would have jumped for joy at the prospect of its removal, the quicker the better. It would improve the appearance of the Bay 50 percent to get rid of this conglomerated mess of rotten timber; painting it can add little to its appearance.
My suggestion to them is to reconsider the question and appeal to the Park Board to have it removed before the Jubilee celebrations start. It has already been there ten years too long. Clear it away and advocate to the pumping of clean sand from Spanish Banks to form a beautiful curved beach and English Bay will come back into its own. – WM Elgie Bland.
The English Bay Pier was indeed demolished in 1938, leaving room for a more natural waterfront, protected by the Seawall (that would could begin to take shape in 1914 and wasn’t fully completed until recent years).
1909 – English Bay bathhouses and pier. VPL #: 739 & 7514. Photographer: Philip Timms.
2013 – Source: Apple Maps.
About 40 years after it was gone, some drummed up talk of installing another pier at English Bay. Another Letter to the Editor in The Vancouver Sun from May 12, 1981 suggested a pier would be a nice addition to English Bay, however the author had no prior knowledge of the old pier until they received a letter back from Vancouver Mayor Mike Harcourt. The idea floated around for years and according to another article in The Vancouver Sun from October 31, 1985 titled: “Deep Six Pier Plans: Residents”, it wasn’t a popular one:
“The old English Bay Pier may have been fine in its time, but West End residents want nothing to do with one now. Vancouver park board’s “excitement” over a proposal to build a pier at English Bay for the city’s 1986 centennial year was snuffed out at a public meeting Wednesday when area residents rejected the idea.”
1930’s – Archives item# Be P73.2.
1923 at English Bay. Photo by Hubert William Lovell. Archives# CVA 258-3.
The English Bay Pier is one of those structures from early Vancouver that few seem to miss. It’s fun to look at old photos of Vancouver and see how locals enjoyed the outdoors, much like we do today, but I don’t see the shoreline of English Bay changing that drastically again, any time soon.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — This is not a paid post. 1 night was compliments of Kimpton. Views are my own. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
Our trips to Seattle are always different, always an adventure, and always packed with great food and fun. We take the Amtrak train down for day or we’ll book a hotel and have a full #2DaysinSeattle excursion.
We were heading to our first Mariners game of the season over at Safeco Field this past weekend and the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau made the suggestion that we get in touch with the Hotel Vintage Park, located on Spring and 5th Avenue. Having stayed in the area before and I was happy to learn that the Vintage Park was a Kimpton Hotel so we booked our stay, packed up our Mariners gear, and hit the road.
When we’re at a hotel we look for a few basics: WIFI, accessible outlets, and a comfortable bed. The Vintage Park had it all including complimentary morning coffee & tea service in the lobby, large flat-screen TVs, overstocked minibars and snack trays, and pet-friendly rooms.
Kimpton Hotels often have a theme (games, books, art, etc.) and the Vintage Park’s was wine. Rich purples and burgundies in the decor, the names of Washington wineries on room doors, and a nightly wine reception in the lobby. This boutique hotel is also home to Tulio, ranked one of the top Italian restaurants in the country by Travel + Leisure.
Kimpton’s signature leopard print robes
Luxurious comforts, friendly staff, enhanced amenities and services (in-room spa treatments, yoga), and a great location make the Vintage Park score a winning hit in our books. Although we drove down, we walked to brunch and back, although Spring is a pretty steep hill, and also walked down to the ballpark. Once you’re parked for your stay, you won’t need to budge.
Score on Parking
There are several packages and deals offered by the Vintage Park and Seattle Kimptons (the Alexis, Monaco, and Vintage Park) have also launched a wider program that will last through October 31, 2013. Guests’ valet parking fee will depend on the outcome of the previous night’s Mariners game. Whatever their opponents’ score the night before, the guest pays for parking. For example 2 runs = $2 parking, or 0 runs = free parking. When you book your room, use the code SCORE to add on this valet parking deal and you’ll also receive two bottles of a Northwest craft beer and a bag of Tim’s Cascade (local) potato chips.
I first signed up for my Kimpton InTouch loyalty card (that allows us to get free WIFI in the rooms) back in 2009. WordCamp San Francisco was on the horizon when I first used Twitter to ask for hotel recommendations. A follower from Rhode Island replied to me and said to try looking @Kimpton Hotels. Within a few hours, Kimpton had replied to me asking if they could assist with my trip and we got a room booked shortly after that. They were doing social media for business (the right way) four years ago and instantly made me a returning customer.
To learn more about Kimpton Hotels in Seattle, and specially the Vintage Park, follow @KimptonSEA on Twitter with the tag #VintagePark for updates about this property.
Surrey’s Party for the Planet presented by TD is BC’s largest Earth Day celebration and it all happens at Central City on Saturday, April 27, 2013. From 10:00am to 9:00pm you can enjoy plenty of family-oriented activities, play with interactive eco-exhibits, check out a tree sale, sample some food cart fair, listen to live music and more — all for free.
Every year there are incredibly talented acts that take to the main stage and this year the line-up is once again pretty stellar. Lights will be on at 7:45pm, Hey Ocean at 6:15pm, Fighting for Ithaca at 5:10pm, The Matinee at 4:00pm, and Shane Philip (amazing didgeridoo artist) at 2:45pm.
As a proud sponsor of Surrey’s Party for the Planet I have a fantastic opportunity to give away to two lucky readers. Each contest winner (and their guest) will be able to attend a meet and greet with Hey Ocean at the event.
Often described as one of Canada’s best up-and-coming acts, Hey Ocean is a young band with an extraordinary talent for blending various musical styles into a brand of infectious pop that is uniquely their own. Together, Ashleigh Ball, David Beckingham and David Vertesi have created a musical repertoire that cannot be ignored – be it on radio, television or your neighbor’s iPod, Hey Ocean will soon be everywhere.
Hey Ocean has also been nominated in the “Breakthrough Group of the Year” category for the 2013 Juno Awards. Here are some of their popular tracks including an acoustic version of Big Blue Wave filmed by the good folks over at Green Couch Sessions:
Here’s how you can enter to win a meet and greet with Hey Ocean at Party for the Planet:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win a #P4TP meet + greet with @heyoceanband from @Surrey_events @Miss604 http://ow.ly/k5FFW
I will draw two winners at random from all entries on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 12 noon. Follow Party for the Planet on Twitter and Facebook for more event information. You can also enter to win a meet and greet with Light courtesy of Party for the Planet. See their website for full details.
Update: The winners are @Hannah_Baileyy and Allissa!
Royal City Musical Theatre presents Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. Celebrate the 70th anniversary of this show, hailed as the musical of musicals and filled with familiar tunes, until April 27th at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster. Over 44 cast members make up this large-scale production with Direction and Choreography by Valerie Easton, and Musical Direction by James Bryson.
Photo credit: Emily Cooper
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, having set the standards and established the rules of musical theatre still being followed today. Set in a Western Indian territory just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love’s journey is as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road.
Oklahoma! will run Wednesdays through Sundays at 8:00pm with additional matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm, now until April 27, 2013. Ticket range are $20 to $40 and are available online through the Massey Theatre box office or by calling 604-521-5050.
Follow Royal City Musical Theatre on Facebook and Twitter for more information about this production and other upcoming events.
Participants can enjoy different dance lessons every hour from 12:00pm to 7:00pm, and a dance party with performances from 8:00pm to 12:00am. COBS Bread will be sponsoring and providing free sustenance.
Where Cambrian Hall, Main at 17th. When Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 12:00pm to 12:00am (doors at 11:30am). Tickets $20 at the door or dancers can register a pledge page and collect donations or download a pledge sheet. The goal is to raise $5,000 for the Showboat.
The Kitsilano Showboat, operating since 1935 adjacent to the Kitsilano Pool, sustained major damage during the King Tide we experienced just a few months ago that dramatically raised water levels. The Showboat’s legacy is to provide free summer entertainment, from local bands and dance groups to theatrical productions and they need to raise funds to make repairs and get on track this year.
Water from the King Tide “breached the pool wall, surrounded the stage and flooded all the dressing rooms, storage rooms, bathrooms, sound room and parts of the stage. The water was 18 inches deep backstage and everything was covered in debris and seaweed.”
King Tide at Jericho Beach – Photo credit: cognoscento on Flickr
As a non-profit and self-supporting volunteer organization, the Kitsilano Showboat Society needs to raise significant funds to make the necessary repairs before this, their 78th season, gets underway.
Ceroc Vancouver offers weekly dance lessons with drop-ins welcome. You can sign up to dance with them at Ceroc Around the Clock or stop by and check out the music-fuelled action at Cambrian Hall simply to show your support. Follow the Kitsilano Showboat on Facebook and Ceroc Vancouver on Twitter to find out more about this event.
