Vancouver has always been a coffee city. Nabob was founded in Gastown in 1896, coffee shops paired with news stands and bus stops throughout its history, and we had the first Starbucks outside of the USA. We also had the infamous corner of Starbucks and Starbucks at Thurlow and Robson, until recently. With the rise […]

Maple Tree Square sits at one of the most photographed, and most historic, intersections in Vancouver where Water, Powell, Alexander, and Carrall streets meet. It dates back to the time when Vancouver was called Granville Townsite, and when John “Gassy Jack” Deighton opened the area’s first saloon in 1867. Deighton had paddled over from New […]

It’s one of Vancouver’s lost landmarks and all that remains are pieces of its opulent interior, which can be found in antique shops or repurposed home decor, occasionally unbeknownst to the homeowner. From 1916 to 1949, the Second Hotel Vancouver stood on West Georgia Street between Howe and Granville. Built in a grand Italianate revival […]

As we ring in the new year, we often look back as we move forward. Thanks to the late, great Chuck Davis for his History of Metropolitan Vancouver, and the City of Vancouver Archives, we can take note of some major events and milestones that happened 100 years ago in Vancouver: Vancouver in 1916 February […]

Robson and Granville on May 4, 1969 Photographer: Ernie H. Reksten Archives: #2010-006.097 This image made available by the City of Vancouver Archives. Click here for the large version, to spot stores like House of Christmas, Manly Hat Shop, and Ladies City. This intersection sure has changed over the years. In the 1970s it became […]

Since the beginning of the month, poppies have adorned the left lapels of Canadians and on Remembrance Day, through ceremonies, memorials, and services, veterans will be honoured across the country. There are several events taking place around Metro Vancouver, as there have been for decades, with the cenotaph at Victory Square being one of the […]