It was 124 years ago last Sunday (June 13th, 1886) that Vancouver was completely destroyed by fire. It began as a controlled fire to clear brush on the land, however it quickly spread out of control.
The Great Vancouver Fire of 1886
Vancouver before the Great Fire, Water Street 1886. Archives item #Str P8
The entire city (only a few months old at the time) was engulfed in flames within 45-60 minutes.
Day after the Great Fire, June 1886. Photo by Louis Denison Taylor. Archives item #CVA 1477-416
880 buildings were destroyed in Vancouver and 20 people lost their lives. Due to the wooden construction and lack of a fire brigade with equipment to battle the blaze, only stone or brick buildings in Gastown, Yaletown, and parts of the West End survived.
Quick facts:
After the Great Fire the City of Vancouver passed a by-law that all buildings be made of brick and stone only1.
Through fundraising afterward, Vancouver purchased its first fire engine and it was brought to town July 30th, 1886.
In 1929 Vancouver City Council named June 13th as “Vancouver Day” — a time of remembrance and thanksgiving2.
St. James’ Anglican Church at Gore and Cordova is the third church of this name. The very first burned down during the Great Fire and its melted bell now resides in the Museum of Vancouver.3
“In 20 minutes, Vancouver had been wiped off the earth. In 12 hours, it was rising again.” Chuck Davis, Vancouver History
Businesses in Gastown rebuilt 1 month after the Great Fire, July 1886. Archives item #Str P7
While only a few buildings from the original Vancouver townsite still exist today, it’s amazing to hear about how the city was rebuilt so quickly. Even today it seems as though Vancouver is in a constant state of construction. 124 years later we’re still an ever-changing city but at least we are building our own history as we go.
For the third year in a row we’ll be covering Canada Day in Surrey live from the Cloverdale Millenium Amphitheatre. John and I head out to Western Canada’s largest Canada Day celebration each year to provide live blogs, Tweets, photos, and videos. This year is no exception and with an ever-impressive line up, this free festival is always a good time.
Where
Cloverdale Millenium Amphitheatre [Google Map]
I was just sent a link to this “Dear Vancouver” video on YouTube and I have to say, it’s pretty neat.
One night after dinner a few months ago, John and I went for a walk in the West End. Even though I had traveled the same path hundreds of times before, I took out my phone and snapped photos along the way. I captioned each “Dear Vancouver, I love you” and uploaded them to Flickr, pinging Twitter along the way.
Sometimes it’s nice to just stop, take a look around, and appreciate where we live. It is beautiful, it is miserable, it is charming, it’s fabulous, and it’s heartbreaking. It’s not perfect by any means, but it is home. I chose to live here, as did my American husband.
The video above is yet another reason I love my city. It’s full of creative people and every once and a while someone decides to spread that word that Vancouver isn’t all that bad.
Happening at J Lounge on Bute (at Davie) the theme is a semi-formal masquerade ball and entertainment will include improv comedy and circus performances.
Your $25 ticket also includes door prizes, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres. There will also be prizes awarded for costumes and a silent auction to benefit the cause.
As a bonus, the first 20 people to purchase their ticket as a referral from Miss604.com (selecting that option on the online ticketing page) will be entered to win a Daniel Sedin autographed hockey stick from the Vancouver Canucks. The winner of the autographed stick will receive their prize that evening.
Wish Upon a Star will run from 6:00pm until 10:00pm June 19th and will be a great way to have some fun on a Saturday night, all for a cause.
While making my way around the region with the Canada Day series, I am happy to include Whistler’s Canada Day event. Whistler is a part of the “604” after all and they have a great lineup of activities and entertainment to compliment their Canada Day festivities this year.
Where
The resort municipality of Whistler When
July 1st (9:00am – 11:00pm) through July 4th, 2010
Meet athletes & Olympic medallists: Ashleigh McIvor and Maelle Ricker, Davey Barr, Julia Murray, Justin Lamoureux, Michael Janyk, Robbie Dixon, Matt Hallat, Tyler Mosher Lindsay Debou, and Morgan Perrin.
The Après Parade Party will take place at Village Square at 2:00pm with the singing of O Canada by local performer Rachel Thom, cake-cutting, a 2010 Olympic and Paralympic athlete recognition ceremony and a free outdoor concert by Spirit of the West.
An Evening at Ross Rebagliati Park starts at 7:00pm and will include a line-up of Whistler’s best acoustic performers, a community mural and a free outdoor film screening.
There will be fireworks at Ross Rebagliati Park at 10:15pm (as long as current forest fire danger levels permit).
Parade
The parade‘s theme is “Whistler Spirit – Let’s Hear It! Celebrating our Arts, Culture, and Heritage” and will begin at 12:00pm at the Whistler Public Library, winding along the Village Stroll, ending at Mountain Square. The parade includes roving street entertainment, 2010 Olympians and Paralympians, a 60-piece marching band and award for the most sustainable float.
The festivities continue Friday to Sunday with an outdoor concert series (3:00pm – 5:00pm Friday July 2nd) and the BC Bike Race (10:00am Saturday July 3rd). The outdoor concert series continues (3:00pm – 5:00pm Saturday July 3rd) with Delhi 2 Dublin and the Whistler Dragon Boat Festival at Rainbow Park (9:00am – 5:00pm Saturday July 3rd). The Dragon Boat Festival continues on Sunday July 4th.
