It was March 3rd 1892 when Charles Woodward opened his first store on the corner of Harris Street (now Georgia) and Westminster Avenue (now Main) in Vancouver. He had just arrived in town from Ontario and the small setup sold dried foods. It wasn’t until 1895 that he added a drug department, incorporated (Woodward Stores […]

The injustice that was the Komagata Maru incident was one of the first things my teacher talked about in grade 11 social studies and the name has always stuck with me. In 1914 a Japanese steamship carried 376 passengers (all British subjects) from Punjab, India over to Vancouver by way of Hong Kong, Shanghai, and […]

As we make our way through Vancouver’s 125th anniversary year, many have been looking back to see how our city has grown. Thanks to the efforts of Vancouver’s first Archivist, Major Matthews, and photographers who took to documenting the ‘early years’ we can view glimpses of what Vancouver was like in its formative years. One […]

Keeping up with work and blogging while in Africa has proven to be a challenge (as can be expected) however all of the travel has inspired this week’s photo collection from the Vancouver Archives which has an airport theme. Year: 1946 Subject: Airline stewardess passing the “Vancouver, City of Destiny” film to a man at […]

February is Black History Month and in Vancouver, there’s a significant amount of history to share and celebrate. From the groundbreaking work of Emery Barnes to the life-saving Joe Fortes who was named the “Citizen of the Century” by the City of Vancouver. Settlers of African-American decent came from Victoria (and prior to that places […]

The Vancouver Heritage Foundation is celebrating Vancouver’s 125th birthday by seeking public assistance in nominating ‘Places that Matter‘. 1937 – The new City Hall superimposed with the first City Council in front of a tent. Archives Item# City P39 Over the next few weeks, the public are asked to submit an address, photo, and description […]

I have been on a bit of a royal kick lately so I thought it would be fitting to profile photos of royal visits to Vancouver in this week’s roundup from the Vancouver Archives. Year: 1912 Subject: Duke of Connaught at the Hastings Park, decorates a boy scout for life saving Vancouver Archives Item#: Duke […]

This morning it was announced that the Rosewood Hotel Georgia will officially open its doors on Saturday May 7th 2011, exactly 84 years to the day that the hotel first opened its doors in 1927. While it has been under construction and major renovations for the last few years, it was still an icon during […]

It may just be my English blood, or the fact that I saw a great movie recently, but I have become increasingly interested in the visits of British royalty to Vancouver throughout the last century. May 1939 – King George VI & Queen Elizabeth greeted by Mayor & Mrs. Telford at the C.P.R. Station.Archives Item# […]

The anniversary celebrations and events for Vancouver’s 125th anniversary will launch tonight in partnership with the PuSh Festival. From now until the end of 2011, the City and various organizations will be hosting events, workshops, exhibits and more to showcase 125 years of Vancouver. My weekly history series will remain but have a “Vancouver 125” […]