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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Media stay was compliments of the RED Raddison Portland and transportation was provided by Honda Canada. Views and opinions are my own. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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The elevator bell chimed and we walked out into the lobby of the Radisson RED in Downtown Portland toward one of John‘s favourite taprooms. It was mid-December and all of the theatre marquees on Broadway were glittering as show guests gathered by the curb to await their rides. Just past the family-owned haberdashery, the Great Figgy Pudding Carolling Competition had just wrapped up under the 80ft tall living Christmas Tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square. What a fun time it was to be in the city!
I was invited to check out the Radisson RED, “an upscale, select service hotel brand that presents a playful twist on the conventional” and throughout the weekend it made for a great home base for our PDX adventures.
Let’s just go ahead and start the year by looking forward to the weekend! January is full of food festivals, theatrical productions, and – when the weather cooperates – outdoor winter fun. Here are some things to do in Vancouver this weekend to kick off the month:
The Twenties are back and as we head into a new decade, I thought I’d take a look back at Vancouver in 1920 with this collection of photos from the City of Vancouver Archives (many of which were taken by Stuart Thomson):
1920 Granville looking north from Smithe. Photographer Stuart Thomson. City of Vancouver Archives # CVA 99-1287.1
Vancouver in 1920, Photo Collection
1920 – Japanese Canadian War Memorial Stanley Park. Photographer Stuart Thomson. Vancouver Archives # CVA 99-2418.
April 1920: The Japanese-Canadian War Memorial, designed by Vancouver architect James Benzie, was installed at Stanley Park. It commemorates Japanese-Canadians who fought in World War I. A Japanese-Canadian entrepreneur, Koichiro Sanmiya, sold war bonds to raise the money for the memorial. You can visit it today, surrounded by cherry blossoms in the spring.
Vancouver Archives # CVA 99 – 3320
May 1920: The Reo Motor Car Agency Ltd. and Maple Leaf Cord Tires sponsor a road trip with this vehicle, starting out in Vancouver and heading to New Brunswick. Also in the photo, Lumberman’s Arch.
Arnold & Quigley Baseball Team. Vancouver Archives # CVA 99 – 3241
1920: It was a big year for baseball, on January 5th the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. In Vancouver, teams played at the Athletic Park on Hemlock & West 6th. Babe Ruth would play at Vancouver’s Athletic Park in 1934 with his team of “American League All-Stars”.
Vancouver Archives # Str P52
1920: Ever a busy intersection, above is a view of the 2400 Block of Main Street at Broadway.
Vancouver Archives # CVA 99 – 3248
July 1920: A tour bus filled with convention-goers (10th annual Convention N.W. Photo Engravers) outside a hotel in Downtown Vancouver.
English Bay Beach 1920. Vancouver Archives # CVA 677-96
1920: English Bay Beach, hopping with swimmers, paddlers and beachgoers. The English Bay Pier was still around in 1920 as were additional bathhouse structures. You might have even found Joe Fortes in the water there, Vancouver’s “Citizen of the Century”.
1920 Georgia and Burrard, Christchurch Cathedral. Vancouver Archives # CVA 99-1438
1920: A photo of Christchurch Cathedral on Burrard and Georgia. When it was dedicated in 1895, it was the tallest building in Vancouver.
1920 – Snow day in Strathcona. Vancouver Archives # CVA 1376-239
1920: A snow day scene in Strathcona.
1920 – Connaught (Cambie) Bridge horses and streetcars. Vancouver Archives # CVA 92-1
1920: There have been three Cambie Bridges, this is a scene from the second one called the Connaught Bridge, which was built in 1911.
1920 – Vancouver Rowing Club, Stanley Park Bridge. Vancouver Archives # CVA 99-73
The Seawall wasn’t completed until 1980 but work began in 1917. This part of the Seawall, where Coal Harbour meets Lost Lagoon, was sealed off in 1923 and the causeway was complete in 1926. The photo above shows the bridge to Stanley Park in 1920, from the perspective of the Rowing Club.
1920 – Vancouver Archives # CVA 99 – 3293
Vancouver’s Theatre Row on Hastings and Granville were popular stops for traveling Vaudeville acts and other talents. Here’s what was playing at the Columbia Theatre at 64 W Hastings in 1920.
I was born at the turn of a decade so I always find extra special meaning, and nostalgia, when the calendar flips over to another era in my life. One of the most impactful partnerships I made in the 2010s was signing on with Seekers Media who produce ZenSeekers, FestivalSeekers, and SnowSeekers. Through my partnership with them, as a freelancer and content distributor at Miss604, I have explored parts of my province I thought I would never see – and now I can’t wait to go back!
Some of the amazing people I’ve met all across BC on my Seekers adventures
Top 10 Seekers Travel Posts of the 2010s
Here are my Top 10 Seekers Travel Posts that I got to experience, research, write and produce over the last decade:
January is a time for enjoying winter fun around Metro Vancouver, through light displays and attractions, visiting our local mountains, and enjoying some delicious food festivals. This month Miss604 is also proud to be a media partner of Burnaby Village Museum’s Heritage Christmas (on until January 3, 2020) and Lights at Lafarge in Coquitlam (on until January 19, 2020). Find these and more Vancouver events for January 2020 below:
![Baseball in Vancouver 1920 - Arnold & Quigley [Base]ball Team](https://miss604.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Baseball1920_Vancouver.jpg)
