It was the site of the Miracle Mile and where the Beatles took the stage in Vancouver, now after being demolished in 1993 Empire Stadium will once again be filled with cheering fans.
Life.com – August 1954, Photographer: Ralph Morse
Here are some historic events that took place in the old Empire Stadium, located on Hastings right near Hwy 1 in East Vancouver:
- 1954 – The Games – The stadium opened for the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, hence its name — Empire Stadium. 24 nations sent 662 competitors to compete in Vancouver for the Games. It was Canada’s largest stadium.
- 1954 The Miracle Mile – Roger Bannister was the first man to break the “four-minute mile” and his win is immortalized in a statue at the entrance to the PNE on Hastings and Renfrew. John Landy, the man looking over his shoulder in the statue, also ran it in under four minutes but Bannister beat him across the line. The CBC has a great video archive clip of this.
- 1957 Elvis Presley – A young Red Robinson from CKWX radio was there to emcee Elvis’ show at Empire. Elvis got one song in before the show had to stop because the crowd was too loud and excited, he later returned to the stag to play a few more songs. Robinson said afterward that it was the first time a performer stood in front of a crowd of 26,000 people in a rented stadium. No one had done it before, not even Sinatra. He also commented that as a result of Elvis’ appearance, “Vancouver was firmly established as a major destination for every Rock ‘N Roll act that followed.” [source]
- 1958 Stadium Ski Jump – A 165-foot high ski jump hill was erected for the three-day Centennial Ski Jump Tournament at Empire Stadium. Though over 20,000 people attended the event, it’s said that 60,000 more watched from outside the fence for free. [source]. Hat tip to Dave Olson for this info as well.
- 1964 The Beatles – Due to the screams of the wild a fanatic crowd, the Beatles show only lasted about 20 minutes before they had to stop playing – no one could hear them and people were rushing the gates.
- The Whitecaps – In 1978 The Whitecaps were drawing crowds of close to 30,000 at Empire Stadium. [source]
- Empire Stadium was also the first to have artificial grass in Canada, and towards the end of its run it seated 32,375. It also hosted the Grey Cup seven times between 1958 and 1974.
While BC Place is otherwise engaged in 2010 with the Olympics and major renovations, the BC Lions will play their games at a new structure built on the site of Empire Stadium. Adjacent to the PNE (just East of the Coaster) it’s a great location with a fantastic North Shore view. The Vancouver Whitecaps will also play a few games at Empire once again during their inaugural MLS season in 2011. Here’s what the 27,500-seat temporary stadium will look like:
I’m looking forward to its return, in whatever form the incarnation may take. As my husband said last night, imagine a warm summer evening up in the stands with the aromas of the PNE’s candy floss and fresh popcorn wafting over the crowd as you take in a football game with a mountain backdrop. Sounds like a great Vancouver outing to me.
Update June 17, 2010 John had a sneak peek at the field this week. I posted his photos here.
You still have time to donate to the Food Security program through the Christmas at Canada Place website. By donating through Canada Place before January 10th, 2010 you’ll be entered to win an all-inclusive trip for 2 to Jamaica.
This season I have partnered with Canada Place’s Christmas campaigns and as such, I have learned a great deal about their support of the Strathcona Community Centre.
I had the chance to speak to Recreation Programmer Ron Suzuki about Strathcona’s many programs and how they have built up such a strong bond in what is even referred to on Wikipedia as “Canada’s poorest postal code”. Working with the odds against them, they have cultivated an amazing support system in the Downtown Eastside, with the community centre at the heart of it all.
The Strathcona Community Centre has been around since 1972 and they operated 7 days a week, year-round. They have fitness facilities, basketball camps, floor hockey and piano recitals like most other community centres although they also host several specific programs to not only entertain, but help the entire neighbourhood, especially the children, learn invaluable life skills for themselves and their families.
The Downtown Eastside neighbourhood in which the Strathcona Community Centre lies consists of a “working poor” population where 78% are ESL (English as a Second Language) and 60% are single parents. This means they work to make ends meet and as such are just above certain income levels in order to get social assistance (although many would refuse this aid in any case). This also means that parents are working so much and so hard that they cannot be there to greet their children when they get home from school, and this is where the community centre comes in.
Fed by three public schools in the area the community centre is a place for children to hang out but also continue their real-world education. “The public looks to the Community Centre as the ‘safe place’ in the community,” said Suzuki who introduced me to several of their programs: Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Over the Christmas break many are wondering (since I’ve been getting inquisitive emails) what there is to do around town while the kids are still out of school.
Here are a few activity suggestions:
White Spot – Richmond Centre and Kingsway & Knight restaurants will be once again donating their time (and tips) to charity on December 25th. This is the tenth annual fundraiser where the public is encouraged to come out and dine at these White Spot locations on Christmas Day from 11:00am and 3:00pm with all sales going to the Richmond General Hospital and Variety – The Children’s Charity.
GE Plaza Ice Skating – Skating at Robson Square is open from 12:00pm – 9:00pm daily. During the holidays, they’ll be open Christmas Day (12:00pm – 5:00 pm), Boxing Day (9:00am – 9:00pm), and New Year’s Day (9:00am – 9:00pm).
Bright Nights in Stanley Park – The light displays and miniature train will be open until January 2, 2010.
Christmas at Canada Place – Bundle up, grab some hot chocolate, and watch the sails lightshow.
Burnaby Village Museum – Presenting Christmas Traditions, Past and Present January 1st until January 3rd, 2010 (12:00pm – 5:30pm).
Surrey’s Winter Ice Palace – Running until January 3rd at the Cloverdale Arena, the Winter Ice Palace is ice skating with an old fashioned twist.
BC Sports Hall of Fame – Starting January 8th they will have a new “Go Canucks Go” exhibit featuring highlights, photos, Captain’s Corner, and 40 Canuck moments to celebrate the team’s 40th anniversary with the NHL.
Vancouver Police Museum – On Boxing Day the museum is open 9:00pm – 3:00pm and admission is free for all their Twitter followers.
Public Observation Area at YVR – Take a Canada Line train in and explore the remodeled domestic terminal. Grab a bite to eat and sit in the public observation area where you’ll have a fantastic view of planes landing. Kids can explore and watch multiple videos at the kiosks, learn about local history, and peep through binoculars to get an up-close look at aircraft on the tarmac.
If you have a New Years Eve celebration in your community and would like to get the word out, please feel free to contact me and I’ll include it in a post at the beginning of next week.
Since 1977 the Seabus has nautically connected downtown Vancouver and the North Shore.
With a lot of pressure on the Burrard Otter and Burrard Beaver, today Translink officially launched a third vessel into operation and I was there for the maiden (media) voyage of the Burrard Pacific Breeze.
My pal Dave, who has been covering all things transit in images, words and sketches since its inception into the transit fleet, was along for the ride.
We were invited up to the bridge and onto the outside deck for the run over to North Vancouver. The vessel itself was quiet and smooth as we made our run to Lonsdale across the Burrard Inlet.
The Burrard Pacific Breeze was immediately put into service once we reached the terminal on the other side and they handed out special “I was there” certificates for people who were on the departures that followed.
Having a third Seabus means that sailings will run every 10 minutes but after the Olympics either the Burrard Beaver or Burrard Otter will be taken out of service and sold off.
At $3.50 during peak times, my friend Dave notes that the Seabus is the ultimate harbour cruise. Hopefully the new ride (on those silky soft seats) will prove to be a smooth one for commuters and visitors alike.
Although we had a dusting of snow at the beginning of the month, a white Christmas doesn’t look very probably for Vancouver in 2009 (and Environment Canada only gives us an 11% chance each year anyway). 2008 was named “Canada’s Whitest Christmas” so in case you’re missing the powdery dustings around the city, I’ve rustled up a collection of winter scenes from Vancouver’s past thanks to the Vancouver Archives.
1889
View of Vancouver from Westminster Avenue South (Main Street & 6th)
Photo credit: Trueman & Caple, Item#: Str P125
1889
View of Vancouver from Richards Street and Dunsmuir Street
Item#: Str P123
1902
View of the North Shore from Robson & Jervis
Item#: Van Sc P123.2
1900s
Second Beach in Stanley Park after snowfall
Item#: Be P104
1900s
Horse and sleigh at the Hollow Tree in Stanley Park
Photo credit: Stanley Park Photographers, Item#: St Pk P46
1910s
Main and Pender after heavy snowfall
Item#: CVA 789-78
1916
Hastings and Richards after heavy snowfall
Item#: CVA 789-75
I’m still trying to be creative and think up my latest Then and Now post so if you have any theme suggestions (such as Hotels, Street Views, Apartments, Tourist Spots etc.) I’d love to hear them.
