Vancouver History Tidbits: Knight Street Bridge

Tomorrow is the 101st anniversary of the first professional hockey game ever played in Vancouver. It took place on January 5th, 1912 at Denman Arena, which stood near the corner of Georgia and Denman in downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Millionaires defeated the New Westminster Royal 8 to 3. 1913 – Denman Arena at 1805 Georgia […]

False Creek today flows in and out of English Bay, ending with the waterfront walkway at Science World. In the early days, through grasslands and a network of creeks and streams, False Creek soaked all the way back to where Clark Drive runs now. False Creek Flats 1898 – Vancouver City and Park Tourist Map. […]

Today is the City of Vancouver Archives building will celebrate its 39th anniversary. Opening on December 29th, 1973 in at 1150 Chestnut Street near Vanier Park, they were named after the man who started the archives when Vancouver was a new city — Major J.S. Matthews. Photo credit: City of Vancouver Archives on Flickr Matthews […]

Nestled between the residential towers of the West End you can spot a few heritage houses that have endured for decades. Some converted to apartments or businesses, others preserved in time like Roedde House. One that sticks out, with no other heritage houses remaining in its immediate vicinity, is Abbott House at 720 Jervis Street […]

If you’ve ever exited the Olympic Village Canada Line Station and looked south or looped off the Cambie Bridge and onto West 6th/West 2nd then you’ve probably spotted the Centennial Rocket. Modelled after a rocket made for a 1936 PNE float, it was installed in 1986 and contains a time capsule to be opened 50 […]

This Sunday you can check out Vintage Vancouver: Archival Films from the Vancouver City Archives at the Vancity Theatre on Seymour. This collection of rare and unique footage will offer a glimpse of Vancouver during different eras such as 1950s Chinatown, the construction of the Stanley Park Railway in 1964, 1970s tourist attractions, and a […]

After publishing almost 100 posts with collections of photos from the Vancouver Archives and Vancouver Public Library, I have taken note of some important and prolific photographers from Vancouver’s earlier days. One name that comes up often is Artray Studio“>Artray Studios or Artray Limited. Today’s collection of photos from the Vancouver Library Archives features the […]

Vancouver has always been a hot tourism destination. From being marketed as the “City of Destiny” to visitors sending postcards around the globe to say: “wish you were here”. I searched the Vancouver Archives and Vancouver Public Library Archives this week to find some old postcards that tourists and locals alike could purchase and send […]

Vancouver’s known for its H-shaped telephone pole alleyways which have been featured in film and television series for decades. Some have names given to them by historians or businesses but others, like Ackery Alley between Granville and Seymour, were named in tribute. Ivan Ackery with framed caricature and letters at desk. VPL Accession Number: 59306 […]