We get nostalgic about the strangest things in Vancouver, it’s probably one of our signature traits. This morning I read an article by Dan Mangan that reminisced about our old bus stop shelters and this week the WestEnder (WE Vancouver) published a cover story about Vancouver’s alleys. The story gathered opinions from public figures and historians about which lane was their favourite and why.
Our recognizable alleyways, filled with colourful artwork and odorous dumpsters, have often been featured in film and television as well. Spot the alley in the latest episode of Fringe or old Dark Angel re-runs or when Bastian is chased down Trounce in the NeverEnding Story. While Stanley Park and the Gastown steam clock are the most-photographed attractions in Vancouver, I’d have to say — as odd as it may sound — our alleys would at least fit on a Top 10 list.
If you want to learn more about alley history, check out the Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tour or a walking tour with historian John Atkin. Heritage Vancouver and the Vancouver Heritage Foundation have more information as well.
All of the photos in this post were submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool. Please click through on each image to see more from the photographers.
Free outdoor movie nights have become a Vancouver summertime staple in recent years. Dirty Dancing in Yaletown, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in Stanley Park, but none is more fitting than Field of Dreams at Nat Bailey Stadium.
What: Movie Night at the Nat outdoor movie night presented by the Vancouver Canadians
Where: Nat Bailey Stadium (sit up the in stands at the ballpark)
When: Friday, August 10, 2012 at 7:00pm
Tickets: Free admission, free parking
Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Visa is currently sponsoring a handful of Canadian Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls (and some who have become champions already) as they have done for the last 26 years. They have partnered with me to showcase members of their team like bronze medal-winners Brent Hayden of Mission and Emilie Heymans, and today’s feature moves on to the Paralympics with swimmer Benoît Huot. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
The other day I was looking at an old map of Stanley Park from 1907, something I might usually come across in my weekly history research, and I spotted two watering holes on the peninsula. The first being the recognizable Beaver Lake but the other, further northwest and just south of Prospect Point, was unfamiliar.
I like to think I know the trails and pathways of Vancouver’s Crown Jewel fairly well but I should have always wondered why a “Reservoir” Trail existed. This body of water puzzled me so I searched the Vancouver Archives for additional material and found this map of Stanley Park from 1935:
1935 – Map of Stanley Park. Archives item# MAP 777.
Many of the same trail names exist today and the Reservoir Trail is still around but it’s much shorter. It ends here on the map in the square area marked “RESERV”:
Cropped and zoomed in. Archives item# MAP 777.
1926: Aerial view. Archives# Van Sc P66.
Another quick search of Chuck Davis’ Vancouver History and I had my answer:
1889: “…The triumphant Vancouver Waterworks began to shape its plans. They intended to lay two mains across the Inlet in case one was damaged, and to build two reservoirs, one in the heavily forested government reserve that was soon to become Stanley Park, and the other “on the high ground south of False Creek.” The Stanley Park reservoir is remembered today only by a trail named for it. It was demolished in the early 1950s to install a picnic ground. The “high ground” location later became Queen Elizabeth Park. (The old reservoir VWW built there, which was paved over for a parking lot, would be demolished, and a new, larger and earthquake-resistant one installed in 200_.)”
1900 – Archives item# CVA 137-73. Photographer S.J. Thompson.
Comparing a Google satellite map view of Stanley Park today with the old aerial image, one can see the baseball fields and picnic area are indeed in the same spot as the old reservoir.
Vancouver has been built up quite a bit over the last 126 years and it’s interesting to uncover one of its long-gone feats of engineering in such a familiar place.
Over the years I have profiled bloggers from the Northwest Territories to the Fraser Valley, anyone that interests me and that I hope will interest you as well. A few years ago I started asking a standard set of questions and I’ve sent these out to a few local bloggers for this week’s series. Click, share, explore, and enjoy.
Photo courtesy of Ariane Colenbrander
Ariane Colenbrander
Blog: arianecdesign.com
Twitter: arianecdesign
Facebook: arianecdesign
How long has your blog been around?
In its current format, since February 2010. My Blogspot ‘Ariane Kitspace‘ is still online, a site I began shortly after my husband and I emigrated from Western Europe to Vancouver in June 2005.
What is your role?
Writer/editor/photographer
What does your site do/what is it about
ariane c design is a hybrid blog. Having said that, I try to keep articles geared to arts and culture, food and drink, travel, and well-designed products to review, as I can’t be everything to everyone. I try to see things from a designer’s perspective in the majority of what I write and photograph.
What can people see, read, and do when visiting your site?
Read about events and life in Vancouver (and beyond) and perhaps learn about a new theatre production or restaurant in town. Or discover a cycling or computer-related product that’s just what they’ve been looking for.
Why do you blog?
I’ve tracked my life through writing and photography since early childhood. Things just have a way of falling into place: I’d originally registered to be a Vancouver 2010 Olympics volunteer, however my Dad became very sick around the time of my first orientation meeting and I had to postpone attending. I asked to be kept in the loop, but as things turned out, Dad never made it through that summer nor was I contacted again by the Olympic volunteer committee. By then, I’d already had contact with the House of Switzerland via Twitter, and one thing led to another by way of media accreditation to various country houses and Olympic organizations. By the time the Paralympic Games were through, I had grown accustomed to reporting and photographing on a daily basis. It kept me going through the months after my father’s death. I also knew that he aspired to be a journalist in his lifetime, so I’d like to think this way we’re both covered.
What is the ultimate goal for your site, how would you like to see it grow?
I aim to reach out to a variety of readers who will also take interest in some of the things I report on. I’d eventually like to add guest writers to my site, as there are only so many events that one can experience in a day or evening! I also hope that people will be curious by the name that I carefully chose to keep my design business in the picture. If a great product, organization, or service has design needs, I’d like to think that this is an opportunity to continue in my career path as well as to enjoy the growing readership and community that I’ve built through my blog over the last couple of years.
Follow Ariane: arianecdesign.com, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
Read all entries in my Blogger Profile series and feel free to suggest a blogger for possible feature in the comments of this post.
