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.