Kits Beach

Kitsilano Beach was originally known as Greer's Beach, names for Sam Greer, one of the first non-native settlers in the area. The spirit Green built his homestead in 1882 along the waters and went so far as to challenge the Canadian Pacific Railways for land rights. The CPR one in 1890's leaving Sam Greer searching for new property. Today what is now known as Kitsilano Beach owes its existence to private citizens that bought land off of the CPR. Kitsilano beach received its current name from the cities neighbor first nations Squamish Chief, August Jack Khatsahlona. The area was originally home to many first nations during the 1800's before early settlers say the industry potential of using the channel for wood, coal, and other exports. There is still a small amount of land reserved for the first nations located at the foot of the Burrand Street Bridge called senakw.

The Penthouse Vancouver

 Since opening in 1947 on Seymour Street the Penthouse Night Club has been a large attraction and landmark in Vancouver. Although the Pent house is not particularly old it has had a remarkable tale of the past of Vancouver. For all 66 years of business the venue has been owned and managed by the Filippone family. The establishment has catered to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Ben Afflect, not to name many other famous and not so famous average-joes.

The Lions Gate Bridge

An important feature of Vancouver's landscape is the Lions Gate Bridge connecting downtown with the North Shore. The Bridge is also refereed to the Second narrows. The existence of the bridge can be credited to the works of Alfred Taylor, his drive, and his vision of decreasing the commuting time to West Vancouver. The process of building the bridge was hard fought however as Taylor was opposed by the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1927 it was put to vote and Taylor lost due to Vancouverites not wanting to put a road through Stanley Park, a very important feature of the Geography of Vancouver. It was not until 1933 when Vancouver was facing a depression that they accepted the creation of the Bridge to ensure some work prospects. Due to legal matters and political hoo-ha the building of the Bridge did not start until 1937! Stanley park remained untouched and a year later the Bridge was open. 

Monument for East Vancouver

Vancouver artist Ken Lum created the sculpture title Monument for East Vancouver during the 2010 Olympic Land-marking and mapping Campaign. The work composed on a large scale cross, that can be found at the crest of East 6th Avenue and Clark Drive. The image land mark for East Vancouver displays 'EAST' vertical and 'VAN' horizontally using the ‘A’ twice to form a cross. The 20 meter tall sign's comprises LED lights that illuminate at night so it can be seen from significant distances and multiple views points. Lum ideally wanted the sign to be displayed on main street but community ruling felt it would be too large for the area.

VanDusen Botanical Gardens

The VanDusen Botanical Garden, covering 22 hectares of land in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver is a public garden displaying plants from all over the world. Named for local lumberman and philanthropist Whitford Julien VanDusen, this garden which is managed by the Vancouver Park Board has been open since August of 1975. Formerly the Shaughnessy Golf Course, the land was purchased by the City of Vancouver, with help from the provincial government and a donation from VanDusen, to preserve the green space and avoid the development of another subdivision. Development of the gardens began in 1971 and 4 years later opened to the public. Curator Roy Forster, who managed the gardens from 1977-1996, was recognized with an Order of Canada for his work on the development of the gardens.

From the VanDusen website:

VanDusen Botanical Garden provides an inspiring and enjoyable environment for visitors of all ages and interests. With its excellent collections and the beauty of their display, the Garden promotes knowledge and understanding of the world of plants and their fundamental importance to life.

Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain, peak of Vancouver, exceeds 1,200m in altitude. It is the site of an alpine ski area during winter season and a popular hiking site during the summer. It also provides entertainment and other outdoor activities which include skytide, ziplines, paragliding, and many more. The peak of the mountain showcases the breathtaking panoramic views of the city, sea and surrounding mountains in all year long. One of Grouse mountain most inspiring creation is “The eye of the wind”. This is the world’s first and only wind turbine that has a viewPOD at the top of the tower; which allow tourist to stand in a 360- degree clear glass area and enjoy the view of beautiful Vancouver city. This facility was anticipated to eventually supplying 25% of the resort’s electricity using wind power. This design was recognized in the 2011 consulting Engineers of British Columbia,  “Awards for Engineering Excellence”.

Vancouver Geography Part 3: View Corridors

As previously mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2, Vancouver is unique in its development. The geography of the city has played a major role in the city's development plan, from the mixed-use design to the stunted building heights, these are the results of urban planners adapting to the city's natural surroundings. Those of us fortunate enough to spend time in Vancouver know that the touch of nature within and surrounding the city lifts the spirit. The mountains serve as an excellent backdrop to a picturesque skyline, ensuring a little green everywhere you look, and this is no accident. Vancouverites today certainly associate themselves with sustainability, nature, and being "green" as efforts are being made to make Vancouver the "greenest city in the world". However even in the late 70's, the connection to nature was important to those who lived here. Thats why in 1989 the City of Vancouver protected the view corridors of 27 locations, blocking the development of high rise towers to intrude the space. This was important as (we previously mentioned) the limited available land for development meant growing upwards, blocking the views. The City has successfully preserved these views, despite constant pressure from architects and developers who would like to build higher and create more residences. The increasing population in Vancouver has created a large demand for downtown condos, meaning each new tower is leaving money on the table for each floor that is deemed too high by the City. While those that wish to make more money dislike the idea of the view corridors, there are plenty that issue high praise and wish to emulate Vancouver. It is certainly a unique concept that defines Vancouver, both past and present, shaped by its surroundings.

Girl in wetsuit Statue

Girl in a Wetsuit statue is located on a rock in the water along the north side of Stanley Park in Vancouver. It is a life-sized bronze sculpture of a woman in a wetsuit, with flippers on her feet and her mask pushed up on her forehand. The statue was made in 1972 by a Hungarian sculptor, Elek Imredy, whom immigrated to Vancouver in 1957. Elek Imredy fled from Hungary in 1956 and settled in Vancouver in 1957. He first taught evening courses at the Vancouver School of Art and Vancouver City College (which is now known as Langara), and not too long later, Elek became one of Vancouver's noted professional sculptor and he was one of the founders of the Western chapter of the Canadian Sculptor’s Society. During his career, Elek created many sculptures which include the Lady of Justice at the Vancouver Law Courts and a life-sized statue of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent in the Supreme Court in Ottawa. One of Elek most famous sculpture is Girl in a Wetsuit. 

Vancouver: A City of Neighborhoods

Vancouver is the ever-growing coastal seaport city located on the South-West corner of mainland British Columbia. The original settlement established in 1867, named Gastown grew around the Hastings Mill. It eventually grew to become the townsite of Granville before being renamed Vancouver as it was incorporated as a city in 1886. As the city grew, smaller communities started becoming more evident and Vancouver became a city of neighborhoods. There are now 21 distinguished neighborhoods in Vancouver, and although the actual borders between them are inexact, they each have their own unique character.

Separated into sections of Central Vancouver, West Side, East Side and South Vancouver a brief overview of the neighbourhoods will be give. As previously mentioned the actual borders are inexact and are occasionally merged into sub-neighbourhoods or into more than one of the 4 directional quadrants.

Inukshuk

Inukshuk, is a mysterious stone figures that can be found throughout the world. They are monuments made of unworked stones that are used by the Inuit for communication and survival. An Inukshuk can be small or large, single rock or several rocks balanced on each other, round, bounders or flat. The arrangement of stones indicates the purpose of the marker. The Inuit make Inukshuk in different forms for a variety of purposes: as navigation or directional aids, to make a place of respect or memorial of a beloved person, or to indicate migration routes or places where fish can be found. These sculptural forms are among the oldest and most important objects placed by humans upon the vast Arctic landscape and have become a familiar symbol of the Inuit and of their homeland. Inuit tradition forbids the destruction of Inukshuk, it is often venerated as symbolizing ancestor who knew how to survive on the land in the traditional way. 

The New Vancouver Convention Centre

The Vancouver Convention Centre West

The beautiful new expansion to the Vancouver Convention Centre certainly is a representation of the city and its values. Aspiring to be one of the "greenest" cities in the world, Vancouver's new convention centre certainly aids in that respect. The addition has added 220,500 square feet (20,490 m2) of convention space, 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) of retail space and in total as a project 14 acres (57,000 m2) of land and 8 acres (32,000 m2) over water. In times past, an expansion of this size would signify major environmental impact, however the determination and dedication of all those involved ensured the project meet LEED Platinum standards, the highest achievement from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Opened on April 4, 2009 the expansion tripled the capacity of the convention centre which fit well for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games as it hosted the International Broadcasters during that time. To date the events held have ranged from the XI International Conference on AIDS, hosting 15,000 delegates (its largest event) to a small meeting between Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton. While the convention centre provides large economic benefits to Vancouver by grossing $215 million in revenue, its significance as a landmark of Vancouver stretch more to the architecture and how it truly represents the city.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

As we all know, Vancouver is a city that is full of diversity. The Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society was incorporated in 1981 as a non-profit organization established to maintain and enhance the bridge of understanding between Chinese and Western Cultures, promoting Chinese culture generally and be an integral part of the local community.

Vancouver Aquarium

Canada's largest aquarium is the Vancouver Aquarium. It has 70,000 animals with 150 aquatic displays. The facility specializes in Marine preservation and conservation.

The Vancouver Public Aquarium Association was formed in 1950 by UBC fisheries and oceanography professors Murray Newman. The Vancouver Aquarium was the first aquarium in the world to capture and display an orca. The orca in British Columbia is legendary and dates back to the ancient native's who roamed these lands centuries ago. The Vancouver Aquarium operates a Marine Mammal Rescue program which is aimed at rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals that are found injured, ill, or abandoned, until they can be re-released into their natural habitats Preserving wild-life in British Columbia is what has made this province famous and has attracted tourists from around the world. Two hundred years ago, the waters that suround vancouver flourished whales - today thanks to organizations like the Vancouver Aquarium they are trying to keep this tradition alive, so future generations can see Vancouver in its natural beauty. This landmark is an example of the way Vancouver citizens want to preserve the tradition of the Orca and its accompanied marine wildlife that live of British Columbia.

The Aquariums indoor display marine life from the Georgia Strait and from other coastal areas of BC. They have sharks and sea turtles as well as fish from the Amazon Rainforest.

The outdoor display has Beluga whales, dolphins, sea lions, and sea otters. The tanks have indoor viewing windows to see the animals up close. The aquarium also display's South African penguins

The Vancouver Aquarium is located in Stanley Park.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

The famous Capilano Suspension Bridge is located at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver. The park also has many other outdoor activities.

The bridge was originally built in 1889 by George Grant Mackay, a Scottish civil engineer. It was originally made of hemp ropes, and was replaced with a wire cable bridge in 1903. In 1910 Edward Mahon purchased the bridge, then in 1935 MacEachran purchased the bridge and invited local natives to place their totem poles in the park. It felt necessary to add some kind of native heritage to the bridge as it was lacking a personality. But the bridge formed its own identity throughout the 100+ years of its existence, it is now part of Vancouver's heritage.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge has been visited by people since 1889. Suspended 230 feet (70 metres) above the Capilano River, the Bridge spans 450 feet (137 metres) across. Below the bridge is a canyon. Crossing the bridge is scary as your feel the bridge sway left and right.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is an amusement park. You can view the rainforest via Treetops Adventures or venture into the Cliffwalk, a 700-foot long (213 metres), 300-foot high (91 metres) walkway anchored and suspended above the river.

The bridge is located at 3735 Capilano Road in North Vancouver. There are free shuttles that will take you to the Park from Canada Place.

Science World

One of Vancouver's best museum for children is Science World. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching kids about science and technology through interactive exhibits and displays.   It is located at the end of False Creek. The building's official name is Telus World of Science but it use to be called just Science World. The building's name change to the Telus World of Science became official on July 20, 2005 mainly because Telus donated $9-million to the museum. Prior to being called Science World it was called Expo Centre during Expo86.

Before Science World, there was an organization run by Barbara Brink was called  Arts, Sciences & Technology Centre in downtown in the early 1980's which displayed exhibits and served as an outreach program for the community. When Vancouver was awarded to 1986 World's Fair (Expo 86), a dome was designed to serve as the fair's Expo Centre with construction beginning in 1984 and being completed by early 1985. After Expo86, lobbying and fundraising was done to keep the dome and convert it into a science museum. Locals and municipality agreed that "Arts, Science & Technology" centre be transferred into Science World. The Dome had a lot of community support and they added the OMNIMAX theatre shortly after. Science world opened in 1988 after being renovated from the 1986 Expo.

A massive fund-raising campaign ensued, with donations from the federal, provincial, and the private sector contributing $19.1 million to build an addition to the Expo Centre, redesign the interior and construct exhibits. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the Expo Centre as “Science World. A science centre for the people of British Columbia”.

During the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Science World was transformed into the Russky Dom which showed plans for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Science World is in many tourist pictures and easily recognized as a landmark for Vancouver.

Stanley Park Totem Poles

One of Stanley parks most visited places are the totem poles at Brockton Point.

These totem poles were created by BC's first nations people. Four of the original totems were from Alert Bay on Vancouver Island; additional pieces were from the Queen Charlotte Islands and Rivers Inlet on the central coast of BC.

Many of the original totems were carved as early as the 1880s, they have been sent to museums for preservation.

The totem poles are in the eastern corner of Stanley Park. Drivers can find pay parking along Stanley Park Drive, directly in front of the totems. There are usually Stanley Park Shuttles tourists can take.

One of the first totem poles to be positioned was at Lumberman's Arch in the 1920s, when the Park Board bought four totems from Vancouver Island's Alert Bay. Then in the mid 1960s, the totem poles were re-located to Brockton Point.

The Skedans Mortuary Pole is a replica as the original was given back to the owner. In the late 1980s, the remaining totem poles were sent to various museums for preservation.

The final ninth totem pole, carved by Robert Yelton of the Squamish Nation, was added to Brockton Point in 2009. The totem poles are now part of Vancouver's heritage.

Vancouver Geography Pt.2: City Heights

Vancouver Geography Pt. 2: City Heights

Other major cities are tall, how does Vancouver stack up?

Vancouver, despite being one of the larger cities in North America, does not hold the same pedigree for towers that major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, or Los Angeles. The average height of Toronto's 5 tallest buildings (CN Tower excluded as it is considered a structure, not building) is 885.6 feet, Chicago tallest buildings average 1,222 feet, and Los Angeles averages 822 feet. The average height of Vancouver's 5 tallest towers, with the Living Shangri-la standing the tallest at 659 feet, averages a measly 527.6 feet.  New York City, which actually has much in common with Vancouver geographically, boasts an impressive 1263.6 average. So why does a world class city like Vancouver fail to reach the heights of other major cities?

Four Boats Stranded: Red and Yellow, Black and White

The Vancouver Art Gallery:

            The Vancouver Art Gallery is one of downtown Vancouver’s most important landmarks. In 1931 the Art Gallery was founded on Georgia Street but relocated in 1983 to an old provincial courthouse due to increased demand in size for the art collection. The Vancouver Art Gallery now is located in the old provincial courthouse building surrounded by Georgia, Howe, Hornby, and Robson Street making it a central and easily accessed public building. The Building is currently going under its third renovation to increase the size for increased demands of art work while serving its 99 year lease.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is the most popular meeting place for political statement and protests due to the architecture of the building (open court yard and central location), and the hybrid nature of the building being both a social and political hub due to the history of being a court house and art gallery. Most Vancouver resident know the building for its art and politics. What is truly special about this landmark many individuals would not even see in less they were looking for it.

Nine O’ Clock Gun

The Nine O’ Clock Gun at Stanley Park has been there for 107 years now. It is a 12-pounder muzzle-loaded naval cannon. An inscription on the gun shows that it was made by H&C King in 1816, and it is numbered DCLVII (657). The cannon was more than 70 years old before it ever got to Vancouver. In 1856, the British government gave 16 cannon to Canada, and at least three of those cannon got to the Pacific Coast. Two of them ended up at the entrance to the legislative buildings in Victoria, and got melted down in 1940 as part of the war effort. The third and surviving cannon is this Nine O’ Clock Gun.

Vancouver Landmark: BC Place Stadium

Happy Birthday BC Place!

Today marks the 30th anniversary since the opening of BC Place Stadium! This remarkable stadium has been an iconic fixture in the Vancouver cityscape since June 19, 1983! Originally built as a part of the preparations for Expo 86, it was very well known for being the world's largest air-supported domed stadium. This building's unique roof structure became a highly recognizable part of the city of Vancouver, even as the roof and city have changed over the years. Located on the north side of False Creek it has been a staple in many of city photographs looking for the skyline and mountain backdrop.


Vancouver Geography Part 1: Vancouverism

Vancouver Geography Pt.1

What is Vancouverism? And how does it relate to the Geography?

In order to take a closer look at the geography of the city of Vancouver, we must understand a bit of the mantra behind which the city is created. All cities have a plan, and those who developed Vancouver had its local geography in mind and now other cities are taking notice and trying to emulate. The utilization of space through mixed-use buildings has since been dubbed "Vancouverism" and is now a common term in urban planning.

The Gastown Steam Clock

     

       In 1977 the Canadian engineer, Raymond Sauder’s, built the Gastown Steam Clock. Although this clock is relatively young, only 36 years old, it still is widely known by Vancouverites today as a popular landmark and serves as a great tourist attraction. The Clock is known as being the worlds first steam powered clock. As identified on the base of the clock, the steam is supplied by the underground system of central heat distributors limited that causes a live stream of wind to blow the whistle after a series of ball-weights rise to the top of the clock. Every 4.5 minutes one of the steel weights will travel by steam power to the top of the clock. The clock sounds the Westminster chimes each quarter and a larger whistle sounds every hour. The clock although operates on steam also has the use of two internal fans, one that directs the steam out the top of the clock, and the other that plays the tunes on the five steam whistle.

           

Welcome

Welcome to Vancouver!

We hope to share interesting information about the City of Vancouver and many of its signature places landmarks!