The Vancouver Polar Bear Swim returns to English Bay for the 92nd year thanks to Mr. Peter Pantages. It was in 1920 that Pantages created the club and the brisk ocean dip has been a New Year’s tradition ever since. Peter’s family still carries on the tradition of the Polar Bear Swim Club today. December […]

Browsing through the Vancouver Archives this morning I searched for photographed under the category “celebrations”. It was in that pile of digital photographs that I found a photos of Sister Frances of Strathcona receiving a “Good Citizenship Medal” from the City of Vancouver. 1929 – Archives item# CVA 99-1874. Photographer: Stuart Thomson Sister Frances Redmond […]

The City of Vancouver’s boundaries as we know them (Burrard Inlet, Boundary Road, the Fraser River, and Pacific Spirit Park) were not always part of Vancouver. Throughout its 125-year history, Vancouver has expanded and amalgamated several times. When it was incorporated on April 6, 1886, it was made up of what we would now call […]

Vancouver History Telephones – Photos from the Archives

I scanned through the Vancouver Public Library’s archives to come up with a merry collection of images from Christmas in Vancouver over the last century in this week’s series. 1900’s – Santa giving gifts. VPL Accession Number: 18052. Photographer: Stuart Thomson. 1918 – Butcher shop at 2513 Main St. VPL Accession Number: 20633. Photographer: Dominion […]